Del Mar - Initial thoughts?

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by parsixfarms

Also, I'd like to raise another point. In another thread (on "Drug Free Racing"), DrugS contended that there is an over-emphasis on speed-oriented pedigrees in the breed today

Yes, because drugs help carry fragile made speed horses...much more than they do your typical endurance horses with strong constitutions.

The breeders can only breed for what wins races in this modern environment.

Horses have raced on natural dirt surfaces in America all throughout the 1900's.

The only reason it's come to where people think we need polytrack racing, and that horses can't stand up to rigors of racing over dirt, is because of the compounded negative effect drugs (legal and illegal) have had on the breed.