Meeting being held about synthetic tracks

[girly]

Capital news 9

Meeting being held about synthetic tracks

07/29/2008 01:23 PM
By: Web Staff
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Horse racing experts and track officials are discussing synthetic tracks.

The New York Task Force on Retired Horses has put together the forum. Jockey, trainers and other track analysts are talking about the pros and cons of installing synthetic tracks at race courses in the state. Some say the artificial turf on race courses is actually better for horses.

Task Force Co-Chairman Daniel D. Hogan said the safety of the horses and the jockeys should be a high priority. And it\'s important to look into the possibility of bringing the synthetic tracks into the area.


But the changeover isn\'t cheap. NYRA told us back in May it could cost around $50 million to do the conversion at Saratoga, Belmont and Aqueduct.

Trainers Todd Pletcher and Nick Zito are speaking at today\'s meeting.

[girly]

From what I\'m hearing, nobody\'s going to jump to change Saratoga. It\'s a nice mix of natural sand, silt and clay. It even looks fluffy when they rake it in the morning. Who would want to mess with  a good thing? I think on the average, Saratoga has had less catastrophic breakdowns even than these new synthetic tracks put in over the last year. Did any one go to the meeting?

[miff]

There is strong opposition or at least a \"not so fast\" attitude to synthetics from many quarters in NY, including several Hall of Fame Trainers and NYRA Top Brass. A study into the occurrence of soft tissue injuries on synthetics is carefully being looked into.Most recently Charley Hayward(NYRA Chair) noted that the loss of handle at the recent Kee meet was partially due to the customers \"backing off\" poly.Charley spoke of ensuring that NYRA does not alienate it\'s strong customer base by switching to poly/synth.First time I heard a racing exec speak of concern for the customer.

Stats show fatalities are down on synthetics, no question, but Del Mar did have more fatal breakdowns than the SPA last year.One major problem is that the uninformed NY State Legislature can mandate the change to synthetic. There is no doubt that the present political climate can sway the NY State legislators and the animal loons are still barking in spite of their overall cluelessness on all matters racing.Congress is still threatening new federal racing legislation if something overall isn\'t done on the racing front.

Very disappointing that the committee invited quite a few pro-synth industry people from California, of all places, where they butchered the surfaces up more than anyplace.If I hear one more disengenuous Racing Exec speak of protecting the horses, I\'ll vomit.

Sadly,in the end, the people with the legislative power will set the rules regardless of what anyone wants.


Mike