Graded Stakes and Polytrack

[repent]

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

I would agree with you if they only had polytrack at one track, but now they have it at Turfway, Keeneland, Hollywood, and Woodbine. Shortly they will have it at Del Mar and Santa Anita. So if you have a horse that is a good horse on polytrack, that is significant because the horse can win big races at 6 different tracks including some of the biggest tracks in the country.

By the way, there are plenty of people that thought the old track at Keeneland was a joke. There was a big speed bias there and there were plenty of good horses that didn't like the track there. At least now if a horse wins a race at Keeneland, he can probably take that form to 5 other tracks. You could argue that Sinister Minister couldn't repeat his race at Keeneland at any other track. So you could argue that a horse's Keeneland form on polytrack is more meaningful than their form on the old Keeneland track.

ok,
now thats a fair point.
but you have to look at the races individually.
the Blue Grass is a G1 b/c its a 750K prep for the KY Derby.
problem is, it no longer has anything in common with the KY Derby and I do not know why a trainer would prepare a horse for the KY Derby at the BG.
same for the Spinster and the BC Distaff.
or the Lanes End for the BC Juvenile.

as for the old KEE,
the speed bias had something to do with the turns at KEE and the downward sloping surface towards the finish line.
those things could have been corrected(and they were this past summer) without changing surfaces.


Repent