POLYTRACK POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE ?

[louis finochio]

How many breakdowns and injuries have been recorded at Turfway since the Polytrack was installed?

[caraway]

I could be wrong but I think I read in Bloodhorse there was no breakdowns or injuries on the Polytrack for the Turfway Sept. Meet.

[hpkingjr]

The response seems to be very positive with the exception of a dust problem. In England with lots of rain/showers it has not been a problem. My guess is watering more may help except in the sub freezing temperatures. Seems like freezing temperatures were the primary reason to install. They may have to put up with some dust to avoid losing while racing cards.

[Scott]

Keeneland is the next to install the surface I believe, starting next fall. They were the first to install this surface on their training track in the US. Louis, the stats on injuries at Turfway were posted in the thread "Breakdowns Escalate" in the general discussion heading. They were quoted from Turfway's website last week.

If the surface protects the horse - and the beginnings suggest that - it will be the responsible thing to do for the major tracks across the country.

Here is a link to some info on the polytrack surface:

http://www.polytrack.com/racingmenu.html

[madelyn]

I think the polytrack does more than just look out for the horse... it equalizes the surface. So running at Keeneland will feel the same to the horse as running at Mountaineer... or vice versa. It will be interesting, if it happens, to see what it does to racing.

[TBLADY]

MOUNTAINEER AND POLYTRACK in the same breathe? WOW
Now theres a place that needs a new surface! Too bad they will never spend the money to do something to help the horses...let alone the horsepeople. BREAKDOWN central.

[louis finochio]

I talked to a gallop boy that has galloped over the poly track in the UK and he said he witnessed 1 breakdown in the last 5 years.

Its time for the US to catch the poly track fever.

[madelyn]

I wonder how long it would take to develop a polyturf?

[Elusive City]

I wonder how long it would take to develop a polyturf?

Well there is field turf. which feels. At least to me like "real" grass.

whether horses would like it or not. I know some football coaches
who says it cuts way down on injuries for players.

[LSB]

I wonder how long it would take to develop a polyturf?

I believe that the grass horses are supposed to like the polytrack too. I know when Turfway first opened with it, because of the way the surface rode the jockeys were calling it "durf".

[summerhorse]

It sure would be nice to watch a race and not be surprised when nobody breaks down. or to have to say a prayer that everyone comes back home safely!

[magic code]

I heard rumors from a long time ago that horse manure would somehow detrimentally affect the Polytrack surface. Obviously it's not true, but it made me wonder - how DOES that stuff get worked in?

[louis finochio]

My favorite farrier Don Reed has said when he was in Ok, and they were monitoring the polytrack surface. The freezing temperatures at night and the heat of the day would breakdown the componets of the polytrack.

It would take time to do that, but I would rather have the polytrack breakdown than our TB.

[austique]

In OK when we had Equitrack, the two main problems where horses bleeding (mostly horses that had never had that problem in their lives and some of them cleared up after the Equitrack was removed) and the surface would clod up really bad. My understanding was those issues were fixed with the Polytrack. Also, Equitrack played more like a traditional dirt surface and its main selling point was its ability to stay fast in any weather (i.e. it didn't freeze or get sloppy).

[Roguelet]

We have a filly who has now run 3 times on the polytrack. It is everyone's overwhelming opinion that she hates the surface and can't or won't run on it. So, we are now taking her out until the Indiana Downs meet, even though she's fit, sound, and we'd rather have her racing. All three races the jockeys (two different jockeys) have come back and told the trainer that she definitely does NOT like the surface. I've also heard, from owners who stable a horse there, that the word around the track is that the ship-in horses aren't doing well at all, so I have to think that our filly's not the only one who hates the surface. Has anyone else heard anything like this?