Santa Anita to go synthetic this year
 

They don't have a choice,do they?

You are right no choice, The CHRB said all tracks in Cali have
to go to synthectic surface as soon as possible. I heard that
Bay Meadows are trying to fight it. The horseman at BM are
very pleased with there racing surface at BM.

The point of this post referred to last week when the track President expressed concern at challenges other tracks are facing with the synthetic surfaces.The announcement from Charles ended weeks of ambiguity regarding Santa Anita's plans for a new surface.

I just do not understand. What ever happened to if it is not broken, do not try to fix it?

It's required by law to change the track to a synthetic surface.

Wonder how Lava Man will do running on different synthetic surfaces. Makes the case stronger that he should probably stick to the turf.

Can only hope the stuff doesnt melt as well as it freezes.

There are no bigger issues in California that they have to worry about , then making synthetic surfaces manditory. It's like when the federal government got involved with the steroid issue in baseball. Because there are no other bigger problems in the country than that. Give me a break! Why is it the states decision? I understand that they give the tracks money, but this is a horse issue and shouldn't the horseman make the call?

With the heat in California and the jury still out on these new surfaces, I really wish they would reconsider for Santa Anita and wait a few years to find out how these synthetic tracks hold up at Del Mar and Hollywood.

I heard of zero issues at Hollywood with the cushion track, in fact the track got rave reviews.

That was also the fall meet.. It will be interesting to see how it holds up when it's 90+ degrees in early July

S.A. should put in Cushion track, I cannot praise this surface enough, other than when the trackman screwed it up by trying to use regular dirt harrows on it the has been great.Since that day I have seen the horse ambulance come out twice and both were for horses whom one of had a heart attack and the other one was bleeding thru its nose. Mandella has switched from shoeing his horses with outer rims in front and low toes behind to all queens plates on all the horses because there is no need for them. We have not had one horse in our barn of about 40 at Hollywood have to have any surguries of any kind and we havent had to turn a horse out for problems for so long I cant remember when the last one was.
I was talking to one of the gaurds at Santa Anita the other day and he said they have had to haul off and or put down at least 3 horses a week, which to me is unbelievable.

There are not that many 90 degree plus days in Inglewood , the other day it was 80 and it was fine.

That is sad to hear Honu.

How are you doing? Haven't talked to you in a while!

Im doing good, its the exciting time of year because the babies are coming in . Man we have some real lookers too that just came in yesterday, a Giants Causeway, A.P. Indy , Golden Missle , Forestry. These things look the part , Im just hoping they ARE the part LOL.

I can't wait to see what they look like. Any 17+ hand black colts? :)

Haha, not for a few years prolly, I cant wait to see them.

Thank you Honu for finally adding some first hand sanity to the synthetic surface debate. There is so much distortion going on around here its sickening. You'll find people wringing their hands worrying about things like if the surface will melt in the summer, when from everything I have heard it saves the lives of horses every day. This is the aspect that is getting lost in the equation.

i too thank you Honu for telling the real side of the polytrack story in Cali.