Sign of a shift from dirt to synthetics?

[SniperSB23]

Found this interesting in a DRF article:

http://www.drf.com/news/article/104752.html

Charlie's Moment sold to Godolphin

Charlie's Moment, the winner of the Grade 3 Laz Barrera Memorial Stakes last month, has been sold to the Maktoum family's Godolphin Racing, former trainer Walther Solis said Wednesday.

The deal was finalized last week, Solis said. Charlie's Moment was being trained for the $100,000 Affirmed Handicap at Hollywood Park on Saturday when the partnership that owns the 3-year-old gelding was approached, Solis said.

The purchase price was not disclosed. "They contacted me after the [Laz Barrera]," Solis said. "They liked the horse because he ran on all the synthetic tracks. I can't say how much they paid, but we couldn't say no."

A winner of 4 of 12 starts and $231,760, Charlie's Moment won his first graded stakes in the Barrera, which was run at seven furlongs. The Barrera was his ninth consecutive stakes appearance.

By Indian Charlie, Charlie's Moment has won three stakes: the Gateway to Glory Stakes on a conventional dirt surface at Fairplex Park last September, and the King Glorious Stakes on a Tapeta surface at Golden Gate Fields in February. Charlie's Moment has also raced on Santa Anita's Pro-Ride surface and Del Mar's Polytrack surface.


We all know that Sheikh Mo is putting a synthetic surface in at Dubai while upping the World Cup purse to $10 million. Is this a sign that he is going to begin shifting his purchasing prerogative as well? He can get any horse he wants, we all know that. And until now people have made big bucks in breeding top dirt horses and selling them to him for unreasonable prices knowing he has the ability to outbid any reasonable person. But is this purchase a sign that his focus has now become getting horses that will run on his future synthetic track? And if so, shouldn't breeders be scurrying to breed to his whims? And if they do should we expect the state of the American dirt horse to decline even further than it has in the past couple years?

As a fan of dirt racing I can't help but feel this is another nail in the coffin.