Quote:
|
I dont recall Baffert complaining about the Cushion track, just the polytrack, which according to its makers "requires no maintenance"
|
To be fair, the manufacturers state it requires less or minimal maintenance compared to dirt or turf, I've never seen the mfg. call it, "no" maintenance. For example, they pick manure off it after every race, so it doesn't get mixed in.
I wonder why Arlington poly doesn't have these complaints? It can go from 60 degrees and dry in the morning, to 80 and hot/humid afternoon in Chicago.
Kentucky (regarding Turfway and Keeneland) is terribly foggy and humid in the morning, and hot and dry (or moist) in the afternoon - quite extreme weather during a summer day. In the winter Turfway only lost 4 days this year, I believe (during the ice storm, when you couldn't walk out of your barn, there was an inch of ice on the ground). KEE certainly had enough 2-year-olds go sub-11 seconds on the poly at the training sales.
It's slightly different, it's here, it's not going anywhere.
In the current Thoroughbred Times, regarding current Polytrack Arlington meet through July 15th:
Fatal breakdowns down from 2006: 17 2007: 5
Average daily on track handle: up 23.5%
All source wagering: up 26.2%
Average daily attendance: up from 2006: 7,169 to 2007: 8,619
Average number starters per race: up from 2006: 7.2 to 2007: 8.5
Less fatal breakdowns, handle up, all wagering up, attendance up, field size up ... it's a bad thing for racing?