Precarious Footing

As synthetic racetrack surfaces fail in California, Keeneland stands by PolyTrack's success in Kentucky
by Natalie Voss

Lexington, KY - Dirt has been making headlines lately. Santa Anita Racecourse, which replaced its dirt racetrack with a synthetic material after a state mandate in 2007, announced recently that after millions of dollars in renovation and lost racing days, it will be returning to a traditional dirt surface.
In the last several years, many major trainers have spoken out against synthetic surfaces of all kinds, which are supposed to reduce injuries and neutralize the effects of inclement weather. Synthetic racing surfaces have drawn criticism from trainers and racegoers alike; trainers have difficulty preparing horses to run on the surface, and handicappers complain that it is more difficult to predict the outcome of races over the surface.

Bob Baffert, Kentucky Derby-winning trainer and one of artificial surfaces' top critics, was quoted in a recent ESPN article, saying he believes many owners and trainers with large stables have moved horses east strictly because of the synthetic mandate. Many trainers have publicly admitted to refusing to run at tracks that install an artificial surface, and a few include Keeneland in their blacklist. Keeneland installed a Polytrack surface in 2006.

Nick Nicholson, president of Keeneland, said that his choice of Polytrack over other artificial surfaces was based on its availability at the time, but Keeneland officials thought the material was best suited to Kentucky weather. In fact, he said, Keeneland so believed in Polytrack that it went into business with Martin Collins to help keep installation costs low and quality high.

"It wasn't something we ever intended to make money off of," Nicholson said.

Nicholson said he believes that Keeneland's Polytrack is different from the synthetics that failed in California. The surface, originally developed in England (where it is called an "all-weather surface"), was built to handle damp colds and rain. It is the main surface at Lingfield Racecourse and at Warren Hill, one of the training gallops in Newmarket.

Nicholson and Keeneland officials researched the surface for a year, with input from England's Jockey Club, before installing it "as an experiment" on the training track. They found it remained consistent in all Kentucky's seasons. After more study and engineering by experts in Lexington, the surface was added to the main track.

"By that time we put three years of thinking into it," said Nicholson. "Now, counter that to what California did."

The California Horse Racing Board mandated that racing surfaces be transitioned to polymer-based synthetics within 18 months in May 2006. Hollywood Park changed its surface in three months, and others followed suit, installing new surfaces as quickly as possible during breaks in the racing season. Some horsemen were resistant to the change, and others became critical when Santa Anita replaced its Cushion Track material with Pro-Ride, due to drainage issues, less than a year after the switch to synthetic.

The other difference, according to John Ward, Derby-winning trainer, is the composition of each surface. Polytrack, which has been installed in California at Del Mar in addition to Keeneland, and CushionTrack, which is used at Hollywood Park, are made of sand, recycled rubber and fiber, coated in wax. In contrast, Pro-Ride, the surface that will soon be removed from Santa Anita Park, is wax-free and is comprised of several sands coated in a binding agent and a cushioning agent. Pro-Ride is also installed on some Australian racetracks.

Ward pointed out that, because of California's warm climate, more maintenance issues were encountered in that state than anticipated.

"Because synthetics contain wax in their makeup, the surfaces react to temperature changes just like a candle: You light it, it melts, and the wax is soft. It gets cold, and the wax becomes harder," said Ward.

Both Ward and Nicholson questioned whether the hasty installation of the government-mandated track in California resulted in a less effective drainage system, which is critical to the maintenance of a consistent surface.

"If you were to make the pretense that all dirt tracks are the same, you'd be scoffed at … no one should expect that the all-weather tracks are the same," Nicholson said.

From a horseman's perspective, Ward said that training over synthetic surfaces is significantly different than training on dirt. In his experience, he reported that the surfaces neutralize the effects of rain and cold.

Ward and Nicholson also reported a "slingshot effect," in which a horse training over synthetic surfaces, with their extra cushion, tends to have an excess of fitness when switching over to dirt. For this reason, both pointed out that horses preparing for Breeders' Cup and other major races on dirt have had great success training at Keeneland.

"I think it's a matter of whether or not a trainer wants to adjust," said Ward. "I think it's definitely a safer surface for human and horse. That's not to say that dirt tracks can't be safer."

A 13-month study by the Jockey Club found a 40 percent drop in equine fatalities on synthetic surfaces as compared to dirt. It also ranked Keeneland first in the nation in fewest fatalities as well as career-ending injuries.

Nicholson was quick to emphasize that though the surface switch was "part of Keeneland's commitment to safety," there are plenty of safe and fair dirt surfaces in North America — notably Saratoga, which ranked No. 2 in the Jockey Club study.

"(This) does not mean that any racing jurisdiction not going to this doesn't value safety … never once have I said that every track should do this," said Nicholson. "We did what we felt was in the best interest of Kentucky and Keeneland."

From his perspective, the negative press surrounding artificial surfaces can partially be attributed to frustrated gamblers venting in the media.

As for the surface being more difficult to handicap, "There's logic behind that fact," he said. Nicholson said the fields are harder to handicap because they are larger, which is a good thing for the racetrack. Keeneland provides a free online database of track conditions and detailed race information called Polycapping, which he hopes will help racegoers hone their handicapping skills.

"Our number one priority is safety, and we do not apologize for it, but we know gambling has to be part of the mix," he said. "I think (Polycapping) is healthy. I love the openness of the data."

Both Nicholson and Ward agree that the success of artificial surfaces is important for racing, both as a safety measure and an equalizer, and both are optimistic about their future.

"Our experience here has been nothing short of fantastic," said Nicholson. "Safety is our number one priority; we'll figure the rest out."

Ward also said he sees synthetics as an opportunity for evolution within the sport.

"The surface you're training over is only maybe five years old … people have been training over dirt for over 150 years and have been training over turf for an even longer period than that, so a lot of our traditional training methods have to be re-examined," Ward said.