Turfway Park Cancels Thursday Card After Two Races

[zinn21]

Does anyone know why? I thought the Polytrack was an all weather surface.

[Foggytrip]

Its horrible

They have switched to afternoon training because its horrible in the morning.

This is one of the great cons of the twenty first century, this horrible surface

[zinn21]

Foggy, do you speak from firsthand experience?

[Foggytrip]

Yes, its a disgrace

[MidwestTrainer]

Now, now, lets not be hasty. Do you know how much work it is to put more surface on the track at Arlington? They must get Polytrack. It is the answer to everything. Please refrain from talking bad about it.

[reenci]

revisit this subject after this years racing .....and see the stats ......if less horses break down on it im sold...but lets just see what the year end figures are.

[geowarrior]

Good cautious thinking reenci. I have a vested interest in this since my partnership horses are based at Arlington.

[Rokeby Forever]

Can horses test positive for Pam Cooking Spray? That's what Turfway trainers are using to keep wax off horses' feet.

How about this for an idea? Make dirt tracks deeper with more of a cushion base. Belmont Park has been that way for over 100 years and nobody complains how unsafe it is....even crippled old Forego lasted until he was an 8 year old racing at Belmont. Horses don't run 1:07 or a 1:33 mile there very often, but I don't hear of horses breaking down all over the place at Belmont Park.

Maybe I'm out of my mind thinking that the old timers had the right idea.

[geowarrior]

Well Rokeby, these are all interesting ideas. I'll take your word for it that horses don't break down much at Belmont, but many horses run their last races there. Is it the distance, the track, or the rigors of the Triple Crown trail?

I love Arlington, and I don't ever want to see horses break down. Are they doing the wrong thing?

[madelyn]

When the Polytrack was first installed at Turfway it was a WOW. Nearly no breakdowns and trainers were jostling to get stalls. It was a GREAT improvement.

The current state of affairs suggests that Turfway lacks the personnel with sufficient knowledge to MAINTAIN Polytrack as the safe surface it can be...

[Foggytrip]

I think what it really comes down to is false advertisement by Keeneland, and Marty Collins. If a track doesnt hold consistancy, freezes, clumps, and kicks back when it gets cold, its not an all weather track.

Turfway Park still hasnt come clean and said they cant figure it out The reason they cant is because there wasnt proper testing done to ensure the track was truely all weather, however the parties peddling the garbage insist it is. Any idiot can lable something all weather, that track has never been put through a cold Kentucky winter, or a freezing Canadian cold front until this year. RESULT- Failed Miserably.

They have switched to an afternoon training program at TWP, like they do at a standard dirt track during the winter. The track opens at 11 now, as opposed to when a normal all weather would open at 6. They have had one breezer in the last week, Keeneland has had none, as well as all the cancelled dates. Its obvious to anyone whos paid any attention at all to this situation that the track is flawed, not only is it flawed its unsafe.

If Arlington puts this track down they deserve to drop handle. It would be completely wreckless, and greedy at this point for them to install it.

Folks, weve been on the dirt for hundreds of years. The horses evolved on the dirt, not on rugs and truck tires, with some wax thrown on top. If they arent sound enough to run on the dirt they shouldnt be running. If we cant breed animals sound enough to get over a deep conventional track maybe we should change the way we breed the animals, instead of the surface the animals run on. Whats next, flying the horses on a hovercraft because they are too fragile?

The track is worthless, the horses are getting hurt, and someone needs to be held accountable. 17 breakdowns one month 10 in the other, these are just afternoon racing stats. I assure you their are also horses coming back bad and getting hurt in the morning.

[bcassidy]

How can you compare a track (Belmont) that only runs in the spring and fall to a track that runs during the winter????
Don't you think the weather significantly changes the equation? Winter racing is extremely challenging on the track, staff and horses.
Let's hope Polytrack is a better answer than the former dirt track alternative. I can't believe anyone would prefer a dirt track to Polytrack under extreme conditions, too much rain or too cold.......

[Foggytrip]

Cassidy, if you cant believe that you need to take a trip to Kentucky and stop believing everything you read. Come take a look at this track yourself, breeze something over it, run something on it, then make your opinion known.

[Rokeby Forever]

Folks...Belmont IS a year round track. Horses train on it ALL YEAR LONG. Do you read about morning breakdowns at Belmont Park all the time?

As for horses "running their last race" at Belmont, don't the good horses usually retire after the BC? Who retires after the Vosburgh, Frizette, JCGC, Champagne, and all the other BC preps that Belmont Park offers? If anything, almost ALL of horses that perform well in those races go to the BC races....they don't retire rigth after them. So, how unsafe can the surface be?

[zinn21]

Foggy your the first I've heard that has come with a really negative view of the Poly surface. If you are correct, the surface is no better than the Tartan surface of years past.

Would like to hear a reality check from others currently racing and training over the TP surface.