Things I've heard and seen so far up here

Was out Saturday night and spoke with a few trainers and a jocks agent at dinner.
Polytrack- trainers both said they hated it, thought it was phony and that it would "ruin" racing. Jock agent of a very good jock said his jock hated riding on it because the stuff flies back and hits him and that you can't tell how much horse you have during a race. Said jock says you think you have a handful and go to ask your mount and he stops and sometimes you think you are totally beaten and all of a sudden the horse grinds away at the leaders. Said that tracks like Keeneland would be better served by just putting a new safe dirt surface.

Pletcher/Sheikh dominance- trainer I know for a long time said its bad for racing to have these camps dominating everything. Said owners are losing heart and dreams that they can win big races because its such an uphill fight.

Henny Hughes- trainer I know who saw the work and has a top sprinter says he saw Henny's work and that he is a GOOD horse spoken in awe.

Gomez- amazing that I sit at a table with two top trainers who ride the guy and a sharp jocks agent and without my prodding them to say it they come out and say exactly what I rail on about on this forum. All three said he gives some of the greatest rides they ever saw and then gives some that make you ask what the hell the guy is doing out there. None of the three can understand it and said they have never seen anything like it.

Gulfstream- A top trainer said in these words " that place is just awful, its the only place you get to run against horses like Bandini for a 30 grand purse". Trainer says that this year hes thinking about going to Santa Anita this winter instead. Said the cheap races are never ending and the only good races they write are so cheap in purse money as to be laughable. Jock agent of a MAJOR jock said he had the opportunity to go there last winter and ride first call for a dominant trainer and regrets not going and may this winter. Said the small purses make it hard to earn any real money and that great jocks arent all that interested in riding 5 cheap claimers a day.