Santa Anita Synthetic

[Silver Charm]

These guys have gotten it right.

This is real racing where speed, pace and position make a difference. All of the rest of these synthetic tracks, except maybe Arlington, need to pay them a visit and get educated.

Particularly YOU Joe Harper.

[colt]

Silver...I totally agree with you...I was worried that I would have to abandon the GREAT RACE PLACE...but CALI racing as we have know it is very much alive and well...Thank you SANATA ANITA...now lets go get the PICK 6....

[Silver Charm]

May have been one of Racings Greatest weekends. On a weekend where college football was wild and woolly, baseball came to a conclusion, Presidents Cup brought golf to an end and the NFL was sort of a beat goes on. Racing more than held its own.

Tremendous races and finishes all over the country. Santa Anita becoming a place you can look forward to watching and wagering from late Dec-April. Synthetic surfaces taking on a whole new life as viable racing surfaces once all of the improvements are made. Keeneland opens this week.

Belmont Park once again saying, \"Meet the New Boss same as the Old Boss\".

Joe Harper with another double drug positive in two Del Mar Stakes proving once again what we already new. He\'s clueless.

The roses are beginning to bloom with BC four weeks away.

The timing is perfect........

[girly]

The showdown between Lawyer Ron and Curlin ended up being very exciting- I really wanted Curlin to win. Why do we get that way sometimes? I am so looking forward to the Breeders Cup this year, now that I have some elementary (or pre-K) knowledge of the horses and the game. My only problem will be not to extend myself and over bet all day. It\'s just so much fun! I really appreciate people putting their handicapping thoughts out there, it\'s a real education for me. I feel like I am enjoying watching the races now even more, win or lose because I have some understanding. Great weekend!

[Silver Charm]

Girly,

The overextending includes the BC itself.

They have added a whole bunch of new races which now stretches things out over two days.

My concern is they cannibalize their own customers and races. Full fields are the draw of the BC. They have given trainers options, perhaps too many options.

For the horseplayer if you are not careful, you may wake up Saturday morning and find out you are BROKE..........

[BitPlayer]

It will be interesting to see how a fast synthetic surface fares with respect to injuries.  I know two horses were euthanized after training injuries at SA last week.

Has anyone read what they did at SA regarding banking of the track?  They substantially flattened Del Mar when they put in the new surface.

It\'s hard to blame Joe Harper for drug positives.  That\'s the CHRB\'s bailiwick, not Del Mar\'s.

[Silver Charm]

I believe the two euthanized were related to drainage issues. Can happen anywhere. Seen plenty of days at Acqeduct and Gulf where the jocks walked off after a couple of races because of poor track conditions.

The SA surface is fair to speed and closers. This is real racing.

Del Mar had rampant milkshake abuse for years. Now its Clenbuterol. If you run the property like Harper does you can INSIST on the levels of Security you want in place.

Or you can insist on next to none at all...........

[fkach]

Are most solid dirt horses running as well on the SA cushion track as they did on dirt?

There are really several issues when it comes to these synthetics.

1. Horse and jockey safety  (probable success)

2. Runing style, bias, fractions, race develpoment issues etc... (potential success on cushion but probable failure on poly)

3. The synthetics were originally intended to be a safer substitute for dirt racing, not a new surface. If a lot of very good dirt horses don\'t like it (and vice versa) it\'s not really solving the problem. It\'s still a 3rd surface and a widespread change would raise many issues.