Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

craig — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 03:56:37 GMT

dirt surfaces are as variable as synthetic trax are. synthetic horses do well generally switching to dirt, but not so vice versa. turf horses tend to take well to polytrax pretty well. santa anita's problem is the soil under the trak and the general drainage problems that all of l.a. has in heavy downpours, as the soil is loose and gravelly and easily washed away, especially from runoff from the san gabriel mtns. as they suck the moisture out of rain clouds and create rivers of runoff thru arcadia.

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

Gunfighter — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:45:41 GMT

The problem in So.Cal is NOT the Synthetic or Dirt top layer, it is simply that they don't have enough of a top layer, everyone wants the fast times.

Santa Anita also have a problem with their drainage, and unless the base is also redone the problem will still be their no matter what top layer they put down.

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

needler in Virginia — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 02:02:20 GMT

Well said, Giddyup, but I'll call your more sanely bred and trained horses with a REALLY crazy raise....no dirt OR synthetics..AT ALL. Grass only. Beat THAT, willya??

Cheers and VERY safe trips to all.

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

Cyd — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 17:58:28 GMT

Since the numbers from changing the tracks to synthetic here in the states still do not compare to the horses safety in Europe...guess it comes down to all the drugs we allow and the europeans do not...imagine that!!! Just take a look at entries and the majority of all the horses running are on Lasik...guess every horse born nowadays in the US are bleeders, but they are not in Europe!!!

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

Adrian — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 13:51:12 GMT

I agree with Sarcasm1's last comment.This is now a golden opportunity for the authorities at SA to construct a state of the art dirt track, no ifs or buts, and in doing so show racing how good and fair a dirt surface can be and how safe it can be for the horse. Everything has got to be as right as is humanely possible,from the materials sourced for the surface, to the drainage to the maintenance machinery etc. If the above criteria are met, no-one should have cause to complain anymore.

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

sarcsm1 — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:17:02 GMT

As a trainer and owner in So Cal, I can tell you that we all hoped synthetics would work, but they really don't. California needed better surfaces yes, they needed to fix the dirt ones they had that were greasy and too hard. The Del mar polytrack disrupts the normal movement of horses that have evolved for thousands of years and have been bred to run on dirt. some horses simply cannot adapt to these new surfaces, they are too different then dirt. No owner of a possible Derby, breeders cup, or champion 2 yr old can afford to either mess up their good horses, or try to get them ready to compete on dirt by training them here. This is one big reason Ca has lost so many horses and owners. Dirt is the only option for Cal to regain its status as a great place to race. We don't need synthetic, we need well made dirt tracks on good bases. P Adams you have no clue.

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

Sandy — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 06:44:25 GMT

Mike Rullo and Giddyup have it exactly right. The arguments about surfaces obscures the fact that trainers are permitted to run unsound horses. The synthetics were installed in an attempt to mitigate breakdowns and the bad press too much of that brings. The vets at UC Davis have found that 90 - 95% of horses suffering fatal breakdowns had pre-existing stress fractures. There's your villain, not the Pro-Ride.

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

an ole rail bird — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:50:19 GMT

in my long &enjoyabile study of horses in racing & all other disciplines. if the answer is to do what is the most natural,it is usually the right one. how much more natural can you get, than dirt & turf? happy raceing!!

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

LetItRideMike — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:09:41 GMT

Qev, it had reached a point where there were so many horse fatalities with the dirt tracks in SoCal, particularly in San Diego that the major San Diego newspaper had a box on the page of the paper with a daily horse death count. Racing would have been banned altogether if they had continued with the status quo. Hopefully they keep the polytrack at Del Mar, the Cushion at HollyPark and the dirt at Santa Anita and let owners and trainers choose where they wish to compete.

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

rt — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:54:45 GMT

Finally some people who realize that track surface is only 1 factor of breakdowns. There are a lot of reasons, but synthetics have become a fix-all. A good start would be to let new blood in the thoroughbred line, only 3 foundation sires, it's no wonder the bone structure & feet have gone to hell. Plus weed out trainers/owners who obviously don't care about the health of their horse or rider. Their licenses can be taken away.

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

Paul Adams — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:11:51 GMT

Anyone who thinks this helps CA racing is a fool. Yes there was a rush to put the surfaces in and it could have been handled better, but the article said the rush to change now is wrong. The first time rain falls the problems will be apparent again.

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

fb0252 — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:16:19 GMT

if we want tracks to survive, the most important component would be to get purses in line with revenues. this means ignoring constant owner-trainer threats and demands for increased purses. let 'em go to Pa or whereever. they'll be replaced in a hearbeat.

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

Gary at Rough Creek — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:56:30 GMT

A necessary piece.

We didn't have to rely on hindsight here...these problems were predictable. Plastic responds differently at different temperatures and moisture levels...wow...that's a news flash!

I was against installing these types of surfaces from the very beginning. In part because of the (predictable) long-term health effects on horses and jockeys from inhaling this stuff into their lungs. Emphasis here on "long-term." Keep an eye on that issue down the road.

But then again, I didn't have a percentage of the company that was pushing these surfaces. Another news flash...vested interests lack objectivity!

Get it together folks, and do what's best for the industry. That's first and foremost the wagering public, the horses and the jockeys, the breeders and owners...and then the trainers. If you are not on that list, you are just along for the ride.

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

Bill — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:28:28 GMT

It's never been about the surface, it's about the horse.

Fit, sound horses can run on broken glass.

When you have a $25k claimer dropping down to $2.5K level WITHOUT ONE PUBLISHED WORK IN 6 WEEKS, you have a disaster as in Burna Dette from the barn of Doug O'Neill.

Neither carefully groomed dirt nor synthetics would have saved that one.

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

Giddyup — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:11:23 GMT

When will people wake up and realize track surfaces are just being used as the catch all excuse for everything under the sun. If your really serious about horse safety you should be focusing on current breeding trends that produce horses with great speed at the expense of toughness required to endure a multi-season career.

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

mike rullo — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 12:45:44 GMT

going back to dirt will save california racing!!!

you have heard disco is dead, so is synthetic.

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

Rachel — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:45:29 GMT

I guess it happens on dirt, too, but it seems we hear it more on synthetics, like JS sending out a 2 year-old maiden to "test" the track to make sure it was safe for Zenyatta to work out (glad I don't own the sacrificial 2 year-old)...SA has "tested" it's track's suitability by a lot of opening week breakdowns the last couple of years...

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

Qev — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 06:43:39 GMT

While reading a RacingPost blog regarding the recent 100-1 winner of the Group 1 5f Nunthorpe stakes, a someone questioned how a horse could come from an All-Weather track (Dundalk) and win a British Group1 race on the grass. Another blogger commented that All-Weather racing in Ireland was of “fairly high standard” compared to AW racing in the U.K. and also mentioned that 2009 BC Marathon winner, Man of Iron, also came from the same track. This stirred my interest to checkout this Dundalk. Upon doing so, what really caught my eye was their description of Polytrack.

Here are excerpts from the About The Track heading from the Dundalk racecourse website concerning Polytrack: ‘…supplies the same characteristics as the root structure in good turf…’; ‘The Polytrack surface, which has the same characteristics as turf…’; Although Polytrack can be manipulated to reflect Good to Soft, Good or Good to Firm ground…’ and so on.

This brings up the question; why would any American racetrack want to rip out its maintrack and just to install an artificial turf course…right next to the ‘real’ turf course?

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

Bellwether — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:16:57 GMT

STUFF GOOD FOR TRAIN N TRACK$...STUFF CAN'T STAND HEAVY TRAFFIC...LONG THE LOOM!!!...

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

gary d — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 03:03:07 GMT

marvelous piece....i thought it was very exciting to hear that SA was returning to dirt...when i bring up the question of Kee going back,i am reminded that they own 1/2 the company......in a Joe Palmer story,he says that a match race between Myrtlewood and Miss Merriment ran for no purse..."just to see who was better". thanks for a well written article

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

todd — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 02:54:34 GMT

Nice piece, if I could add anything? How much was the way this mandate was pushed about sales and perhaps kick backs?

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

Lava'sstilltheMan — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:59:29 GMT

The jury is still out on synthetic performance in So. Cal overall, but the change to dirt at SA will be welcomed by most. The days lost in our rainy seasons were a fiasco. Only by the grace of good weather did the two BC's go off without a hitch. The Cushion Track at Hollywood has been consistent and closely resembles dirt in how horses take to it. For the horseplayer, it is not a great mystery. Del Mar's Polytrack on the other hand is like reading tea leaves. DM is a great party and social atmosphere, but between the short fields and constant fluctuations in how the track plays, it is tough sledding for the horseplayer.

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

EUGENE LEVEY — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:35:23 GMT

HAL PRICE HEADLEY WAS A GREAT MAN..I JUST WANTED TO SAY THIS THAT HIS DAUGHTER MADE SOME COLORS FOR ME BACK IN 1996-97..

OH FOR THE YESTERYEAR!!!

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

Ken Woodall — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 22:21:12 GMT

Santa Anita;s track problems with dirt and then artificial track is an great wxample of what is wrong with racing- secrecy, myth, exageration, and and unwillingness to face facts.

re: Some Real Dirt - By Evan Hammonds

L Hayes — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:38:24 GMT

All I have bet, have been turf or out of state from the day of the change to polyjunk.

The handicapers and owner of the track were the biggest loosers in this entire experiment.

It will be nice to bet a dirt race with class once more.