Frankie Brothers talking Polytrack

<<<<<Brother said that Bel Air Beauty came out of the Breeders' Cup race well, but he offered mixed reviews on his filly's first racing experience over the dirt surface at Churchill Downs that had she had trained over throughout the year. He said Bel Air Beauty has some lessons to learn before he could consider her as a candidate for next spring's Kentucky Oaks.

"She'd really have to prove herself on the main track," said Brothers. "She didn't like the sand hitting her in the face. If she trains well on the main track in Miami, I might try her first race back on it. If she would run well, she would maybe buy her ticket for the Oaks."

If not, Brothers has the option of Polytrack or even turf for Bel Air Beauty. But the filly will undoubtedly get a chance to prove herself on dirt over the winter and improve from her performance on Breeder's Cup Day.

"She actually ran like a young horse would do the first time you run them on the main track, and they get back and the sand hits them in the face," Brothers said. "She'd been schooled some prior to that, but nothing's like a race. For some of them it's just old hat and they take it good, but some of them don't."

Considering her dislike for the new experience on the main track, Brothers was not unhappy with her run in the Juvenile Fillies. When she travels with his stable to Gulfstream Park over the winter, he'll simply be looking for proof that Bel Air Beauty wants to face that type of company on the main track when she returns to Churchill Downs in the spring.

"The bottom line is she's done for the year," said Brothers. "We'd love to point to the Oaks, but she'll pretty much have to buy her ticket on the main track in Miami.">>>>>

...wait a minute, I thought Polytrack was like dirt

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by Cunningham Racing

<<<<<Brother said that Bel Air Beauty came out of the Breeders' Cup race well, but he offered mixed reviews on his filly's first racing experience over the dirt surface at Churchill Downs that had she had trained over throughout the year. He said Bel Air Beauty has some lessons to learn before he could consider her as a candidate for next spring's Kentucky Oaks.

"She'd really have to prove herself on the main track," said Brothers. "She didn't like the sand hitting her in the face. If she trains well on the main track in Miami, I might try her first race back on it. If she would run well, she would maybe buy her ticket for the Oaks."

If not, Brothers has the option of Polytrack or even turf for Bel Air Beauty. But the filly will undoubtedly get a chance to prove herself on dirt over the winter and improve from her performance on Breeder's Cup Day.

"She actually ran like a young horse would do the first time you run them on the main track, and they get back and the sand hits them in the face," Brothers said. "She'd been schooled some prior to that, but nothing's like a race. For some of them it's just old hat and they take it good, but some of them don't."

Considering her dislike for the new experience on the main track, Brothers was not unhappy with her run in the Juvenile Fillies. When she travels with his stable to Gulfstream Park over the winter, he'll simply be looking for proof that Bel Air Beauty wants to face that type of company on the main track when she returns to Churchill Downs in the spring.

"The bottom line is she's done for the year," said Brothers. "We'd love to point to the Oaks, but she'll pretty much have to buy her ticket on the main track in Miami.">>>>>

...wait a minute, I thought Polytrack was like dirt

Not when it comes to dirt getting kicked in your face. It is the same as how some horses will run great on the dirt while on the lead but won't run a step once they have to rate and get some dirt kicked in their face.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

Not when it comes to dirt getting kicked in your face. It is the same as how some horses will run great on the dirt while on the lead but won't run a step once they have to rate and get some dirt kicked in their face.

Actually this is the exact reason I stupidly tossed Premium Tap in the Classic and missed the super. I convinced myself that he was only able to rate on polytrack because there was no dirt getting kicked in his face. That turned out to be totally wrong.

[sumitas]

One doesn't have anything to do with the other. They are different surfaces. One is safe, one is not. One has horrific kickback, one does not.