This is really a tough situation.

What I hear from people who work, train and ride on the track is that the track feels great and it definitely has a positive long range effect on the horses health.

That being said no one likes racing on it. The consistency, while softer then dirt is just not there.

From a handicapping perspective it has totally eliminated speed from your handicapping assessment. It also you leaves you guessing as to who will close the best, not who is the best horse. It has not been very fun to bet these races at any condition level. Maybe the best horses are winning but picking them is close to random.

Obviously Zayat hears from baffert how bad this stuff is. I also noticed John Sherriffs has not run many and elected to run AP Xcellent on the turf because speed is getting killed on poly routes. Its not good when the top barns decide to forgo Del Mar.

I said it before they ran they made a critical mistake installing Poly over the more versatile Cushion Track.

Generally speaking, I am a proponent of the artificial surfaces if they improve the safety of the horse. However, the Polytrack races that I have recently watched at DelMar, with the dreadfully slow paces and finishing times (I watched an open one mile NW2X go in 1:41+ on Sunday), are not particularly appealing.

That being said, aren't these complaints being made by the same trainer that recently intimated that he wouldn't know how to keep a horse together without steroids? Consider the source.

Don't let your feelings for Baffert steer u away from the point he was trying to make. As 10pnt just mentioned, he knows others and they don't like racing on it. Shirreffs is running on the grass and may stay away from the $1 million Pacific Classic. I know of others that have said they hate it or have complained about it's consistency the same way Baffert has.

What I also found interesting was Baffert's comments about his 2yo's. At this time of year, sprinting is the game for 2yo's. U want them to be quick out of the gate and fast around the track. Teaching them to route comes later as the distances stretch out. If speed is something that u don't want your horses to have on this track, why even run your 2yo's? It's also not just a 2yo thing. In this country, we run what, about 70% of the races at 6f and under? Speed is very important in America. If u are going to use tracks that make speed irrelevant then I think u are doing the wrong thing.

The track is a joke, Turfway was a joke in the winter, its not all weather. It is really a disgrace

Zayat leaving, taking 25 horses to Saratoga
 

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports...s31delmar.html

Good for saratoga I guess.....

Who has said this? (aside from Baffert)

If the SOSD article is true, then Joe Harper needs to resign.

We need to hear from people on the backstretch, riding horses over it - Honu?

One person I talked to works horses for John Sherriffs and also rides them in the afternoon so he has felt it at both times of the day.

Sherriffs in a DRF article yesterday said "I dont want to comment on the track but we are running ap xcellent on the grass as speed is not doing well on the main track"....

mind you this would have been one of the favorites in a million dollar race in a few weeks.

Over what?

For being dumb enough to swear loudly at an owner in public. He's CEO of a decent size company. The fact that it's a racetrack doesn't make his bad judgement and actions tolerable.

I have long been a fan of Polytrack, but Cushion tracks sure does seem to be better than Poly. Keep in mind, I have never seen Cushion or walked on it or know anyone who has raced over it. I have done all the above on Poly. I can say that the two horses that I have raced on Poly are in good physical shape. The massive kickback at Turfway appears not to have any ill effects on the horses that I have. I think that Baffert and Zayat have a legitimate gripe. They buy and train speed horses and Poly isnt for the speed type. To me, it doesnt matter what time the horse runs; it only matter than each horses comes back safely. A 3-1 shot pays $8 bucks if he/she runs 6 furlongs in 1:08 or 1:12 and wins. So why does time matter????

100% agree on Zayat..I wonder how long it will take for Baffert to start crying about the Saratoga track..

Maybe Zayat should give his horses to Peter Miller...

Because this stuff was untested under these conditions. But that's not even the problem. The problem comes in not being able to see that there are issues that need to be dealt with and then dealing with them. If u see that adjustements need to be made, then u make them immediately. For him to sit there and say the they will do nothing to the track and address everything AFTER the meet is irresponsible, IMO.

The yearlings that Baffert bought for Zayat in the fall of 2006, now 2 yr olds, should have been thought out for style of racing. Team Baffert should have known they werent running on the 405 Freeways formerly known as SA and HP. The decision from the CHRB to change tracks was announced in Feb 2006 not yesterday.

Didnt hear any complaints from Bafferts camp when Sinister Minister ran at Keeneland getting the 500 Beyer speed rating, incidently he hasnt done much since.

Baffert couldnt even adapt to Cushion track at HP, insisting on training at SA and seeing his horses win at 8% at HP Spring vs norm of 20% for their stable.

Now 2 weeks into the meet,"We want Change or we are taking our horses", well sorry to see you go. Bring some extra deodarant as the stink you bring to Saratoga could be coming from your horses on the NY tracks or the higher humidity, we wont know which as of today.

King, don't think you are being realistic about this. They have raced over the surface for just two weeks(12 days) and now because a couple of guys complain about it your supposed to start dicking around with the track and see how it responds? This, to me, seems just as irresponsible.

true enough, Miller is on fire out there. would have been a heckuva lot cheaper than putting them on a plane and moving them all to Saratoga.

I agree with the person that said poor planning on Bafferts part. this has been a long time coming and the reaction of polytrack was pretty well known.
he also stunk on the cushion surface. at this point Baffert will need to relocate.

My prediction, Baffert doesn't do any better at Saratoga.

Nobody knew how the synthetic surfaces would playout i.e. kind to plodders and a disadvantage to speed during the yearling sales of 2006. I dont recall Baffert complaining about the Cushion track, just the polytrack, which according to its makers "requires no maintenance" and is a consistent surface. Its not consistent if its tight in the morning and loose in the afternoons. That's the point here, no Baffert complaining.

Part of the reason they're pissed and he didnt do well at Hollywood is b/c he points his horses specifically for the Del Mar meet. If he wanted to win at Hollywood he couldve-More Happy and Maimondes wouldnt have had problems winner over the Cushion track.