Talkin' Horses: Steve Haskin

[Whirlaway]

http://www.bloodhorse.com/talkinhorses/SH041708.asp

[Shammy Davis]

I thought this quote from Steve Haskins was interesting:

. . . I’m still waiting for racing to make a good decision about something. They jumped the gun with synthetic surfaces after going into a panic mode, especially California, when they could have looked into a state-of-the-art dirt course that’s just as safe. Polytrack is fine as a training surface. I’m all for changes if they’re sensible, but not such a mass influx all at once. Having the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita for two years in a row is one of the oddest and most impulsive decisions I’ve seen in a long time. To commit to a track for two years when you don’t even know what surface they’ll be running on is questionable, especially considering the disastrous winter meet they had there. Wait until the Eastern trainers say, “the heck with the BC; I’m not shipping 3,000 miles to run over a synthetic surface against California horses who have been running on it all year.” Steve Asmussen has already said Pyro will not go out there. And more will follow. And if you have a 3-year-old who doesn’t like synthetic, you know already you can kiss the BC goodbye for the horse’s entire career. It’s no coincidence that the first three finishers of the Santa Anita Handicap this year were good to average turf horses, who like the synthetic surface.

Whirlaway: We often forget that Keenland used the polysurface on their training track before opting to install it on the racetrack.

As I quoted on the "ruining the KD" thread, when TVG showed their interviews it appeared that the four trainers questioned had a positive slant on the surface. Of note were comments concerning the synthetic to dirt positives while dirt to synthetic was a negative. That says to me that if there are only 12 or so synthetic tracks vs 108 plus dirt/natural surface tracks then racing has a big problem.

I not necessarily against dirt. I am for safe manageable surfaces that allows a horses of equal weight and ability to cover ground in the same fashion and time.

I think Haskins and those interviewed on TVG are being honest and I think good trainers will have to adapt by being selective about where they run their horses. Should synthetic be mandated. No, I don't think so, but if it does not provide a consistence way of going for horses, then we need to go back to the drawing board.

Thanks for the link and setting me straight about what you were referring to on the other thread. I don't read all the threads.

[Whirlaway]

You are welcome Shammy.

And with respect to Tiffany, she was referenced in the first part of this thread. She and has nothing to do with any laugh on or about you ...

Best Wishes