Arlignton Poly

[NoChanceToDance]

Originally Posted by philcski

Actually, that might be the issue. Swap Fliparoo and I went walking on the Keeneland poly on Saturday and it's extremely deep and tiring. Feels like walking in deep sand.

This is entirely possible that they are just harrowing too deep on some of these surfaces. That would definitley make a differnce to the pace horses, and also helped the "one paced" horses as someone put it.

Now, i don't know for certain how deep they harrow here, but it depends on weather conditions, but i've never walked on polytrack and thought it seemed "deep and tiring"

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by philcski

Actually, that might be the issue. Swap Fliparoo and I went walking on the Keeneland poly on Saturday and it's extremely deep and tiring. Feels like walking in deep sand.

ya ever walk on a dirt track? deep and tiring...


i dont know how these horses do it!

[NoChanceToDance]

Leading trainer praises new polytrack surface in Ireland.

From www.attheraces.com

Champion trainer Aidan O'Brien may have been out of luck with his only two runners but he was nevertheless as impressed as everyone else with what he had seen at the newly opened Dundalk racecourse.

The Ballydoyle handler told At The Races: "It's an absolute credit to everybody, I think it will serve Irish racing well for a long time and I'll look forward to coming here. The track is unbelievable. It's a big, galloping track and the surface is very consistent. The facilities are great too.

"It's a place we will use to prepare horses for America. It's a surface that will bring the whole world together and we are going to get a lot of consistency, which is going to be great."

Johnny Murtagh was also full of praise and added: "We have the best horses in the world, the best trainers and some great jockeys. This is just going to add to it - in a couple of years we will be thinking how did we do without it. There's a real good feel to the place.

"Irish racing is, in my mind - and I've been all over the world - right up at the top. We have to keep going and keep improving, not rest on our laurels. We have to let everyone know we are the best."

********************

So, why are there so many problems in America? Dundalk is a brand new surface, they haven't needed time to get used to how it rides or needed time to make sure it is prepared correctly.

As i keep saying, the problem is with the people preparing these surfaces in America, not the surface itself.

Unless they learn (or can be bothered to learn) what they have to do to provide and consistant and safe surface, the problems you guys are having with Poly over there will continue.

Originally Posted by The Bid

Whatever it is its not playing nearly as safe as it was earlier in the meet. The trainers want Del Mar to put water down and management refuses. Does the composition change that drastically when it gets tightened up? If so thats even more reason its not all weather. I think in a perfect climate mid 70s its a fine track, I dont think its made to handle fridged KY winters, or So Cal heat. Hopefully they work it out soon

Just a thought. Now the majority of fields are small and of poor quality at Arlington and actually have been for quite some time. The initial booming field sizes have dwindled, the Illinois breeding program has taken gigantic hits on their foal crops the past decade and can no longer support a full season of racing. The out of state horses find easier spots in Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, Kentucky. Not enough horses to fill good racing so they have to card crap and when crap races enough times it breaks downs.