Post-race comments from Santa Anita about the new Pro-Ride surface
DiscreetCat
Moderator
from Oak Tree Racing:
ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) Santa Anita opened racing at its Oak Tree meeting Wednesday on a new synthetic surface that is being closely scrutinized leading up to next month's Breeders' Cup.
"Forget sigh," track president Ron Charles said at day's end. "This was a big `whew.'"
Having a successful month of racing going into the sport's richest two days could help attract reigning Horse of the Year Curlin to challenge Big Brown in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic.
Owner Jess Jackson said this week he is unsure about trying Curlin on a synthetic surface for the first time, and that the track's condition would play into his decision to participate in what could be one of the sport's greatest races.
"There's nothing more important than to show the rest of the country and the world that the surface is fair, consistent, and most importantly safe," said Charles, who has fielded calls worldwide from tracks considering switching to synthetic surfaces and horsemen weighing whether to enter the Breeders' Cup.
Richard Mandella described most of his fellow trainers as being "very happy" with the surface since training on it began a few weeks ago.
Tyler Baze, last year's leading rider at Oak Tree, said he had no problems in the day's first race, adding, "The track seems nice."
Talamo, who also rode in the first race, said, "The new surface felt great. I thought the fractions were very realistic."
Fans surveying the track on a sunny day with temperatures hitting the mid-90s noticed the surface is closer to dirt in color _ dark brown instead of the pale yellow of Polytrack at Del Mar.
Across town, Hollywood Park has Cushion Track, the same surface that failed to drain last winter when torrential rains hit Santa Anita. The fiasco cost the track 11 days of racing and millions of dollars in repairs, which involved mixing Pro-Ride material into the Cushion Track, which got it to drain.
Once the winter meeting ended in April, Santa Anita officials decided to completely replace the surface with Pro-Ride, a mix of dirt, fibers and polymer binders.
"What you see right now is pretty much the track we hope to see for Breeders' Cup," Charles said.
Workers cleaned up manure from the surface between races Wednesday, but the track is groomed as little as possible, a change from dirt tracks that are harrowed after each race. It will be watered only if the surface needs cooling off, Charles said.
"I have great hopes it'll just be better than ever, Breeders' Cup, too," said Mandella, who is also on Oak Tree's board of directors.
After watching the day's first few races, he said the track "looks like it's favoring the best horse. You're seeing real racing from the quarter pole home, instead of someone just staggering home surviving."
ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) Santa Anita opened racing at its Oak Tree meeting Wednesday on a new synthetic surface that is being closely scrutinized leading up to next month's Breeders' Cup.
"Forget sigh," track president Ron Charles said at day's end. "This was a big `whew.'"
Having a successful month of racing going into the sport's richest two days could help attract reigning Horse of the Year Curlin to challenge Big Brown in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic.
Owner Jess Jackson said this week he is unsure about trying Curlin on a synthetic surface for the first time, and that the track's condition would play into his decision to participate in what could be one of the sport's greatest races.
"There's nothing more important than to show the rest of the country and the world that the surface is fair, consistent, and most importantly safe," said Charles, who has fielded calls worldwide from tracks considering switching to synthetic surfaces and horsemen weighing whether to enter the Breeders' Cup.
Richard Mandella described most of his fellow trainers as being "very happy" with the surface since training on it began a few weeks ago.
Tyler Baze, last year's leading rider at Oak Tree, said he had no problems in the day's first race, adding, "The track seems nice."
Talamo, who also rode in the first race, said, "The new surface felt great. I thought the fractions were very realistic."
Fans surveying the track on a sunny day with temperatures hitting the mid-90s noticed the surface is closer to dirt in color _ dark brown instead of the pale yellow of Polytrack at Del Mar.
Across town, Hollywood Park has Cushion Track, the same surface that failed to drain last winter when torrential rains hit Santa Anita. The fiasco cost the track 11 days of racing and millions of dollars in repairs, which involved mixing Pro-Ride material into the Cushion Track, which got it to drain.
Once the winter meeting ended in April, Santa Anita officials decided to completely replace the surface with Pro-Ride, a mix of dirt, fibers and polymer binders.
"What you see right now is pretty much the track we hope to see for Breeders' Cup," Charles said.
Workers cleaned up manure from the surface between races Wednesday, but the track is groomed as little as possible, a change from dirt tracks that are harrowed after each race. It will be watered only if the surface needs cooling off, Charles said.
"I have great hopes it'll just be better than ever, Breeders' Cup, too," said Mandella, who is also on Oak Tree's board of directors.
After watching the day's first few races, he said the track "looks like it's favoring the best horse. You're seeing real racing from the quarter pole home, instead of someone just staggering home surviving."