Abandoneer

[Unstable]

Originally Posted by Scav

It is patiences, that is all it is. People are so wound up now days that they expect change to happen within a snap of the fingers. Fact is that, and Arlington is a perfect example of this, that these artifical surfaces are helping the horses. The same trainers are at Arlington and I think they have only had 1 or two breakdowns this summer, compared to the 20 that they already had, that alone is proof that they work

You're right. But these new surfaces at Del Mar and Santa Anita will need to be fine-tuned. The same surface used at other tracks across the country will play differently due to different weather patterns. The track maintenance people will learn over time how to best care for each track, just as we handicappers will learn over time how to adjust our handicapping. It may take a couple of years to fully adjust.

The primary reason for switching surfaces was to cut down on injuries to the horses, not necessarily create a track that played "fair."