Wonder why everyone hates synthetics?

[TitanSooner]

Originally Posted by Left Bank

East Coast horses dominate the P.C.

you are really an idiot

[dalakhani]

Ntamm-

I hear what you are saying about synthetics. People don't like the synthetics because it makes the races unpredictable and it allows an utter mediocrity like Richard's kid into the winner circle in a grade 1 race.

But if you say that, doesnt that make Zenyatta's streak that much more impressive? This has nothing to do with any rachel vs zenyatta arguments. My point only is that people knock her winning streak because it was done on the west coast on synthetics but in the next breath decry the surface as unpredictable.

[hockey2315]

I don't get it. Well, I understand the argument, but don't think it really says anything. Zenyatta's streak is no more or less impressive because it is on a surface that allows mediocre horses to compete with some who may be better than them on conventional dirt. The surface isn't random in the sense that the best synthetic horse won't win in a fairly run race, it's random in the sense that it's difficult to handicap/predict which bum will like the track. If Zenyatta is better than her competition (on the surface) then it's not like she'll lose one day because of "random" results.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by hockey2315

I don't get it. Well, I understand the argument, but don't think it really says anything. Zenyatta's streak is no more or less impressive because it is on a surface that allows mediocre horses to compete with some who may be better than them on conventional dirt. The surface isn't random in the sense that the best synthetic horse won't win in a fairly run race, it's random in the sense that it's difficult to handicap/predict which bum will like the track. If Zenyatta is better than her competition (on the surface) then it's not like she'll lose one day because of "random" results.

I get what you are saying but Richard's Kid had already run on poly and ran pretty well. All of the horses in that race had raced on poly previously and 7 of the 11 had raced at del mar previously.

Einstein, who if he is anything is consistent, ran a great race and he certainly is a better racehorse than Richard's kid. And if that is the case...

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Synthetic surfaces are far from unpredicatable. If anything, once form has been established over it, they are a little more predictable.

Going long ... it's all about going very slow early, tipping out on the turn, and coming hard. Those Stardom Bound types can build up massive resumes.

Everyone should knows that by now ... that is why you see fractions like 26 and change and 52 and change in that Arlington Grade 3 over the weekend.

You can't go moderate dirt fractions like 47 2/5 and 1:12.53 and expect to be around late in synthetic routes. Those were the fractions for the Pacific Classic yesterday ... the horses racing in the top 3 spots after 6 furlongs finished last, 2nd to last, and 3rd to last in a 12 horse field ... and they were almost 6 lengths from the horse who was 4th to last.

While the speed badly collapsed from that brutal 1:12.53 crawl up front .. Richard's Kid was 10th with just two furlongs remaining ... but he was able to tip real wide and finish.

[the_fat_man]

Hard to believe that accomplished handicappers have nothing more to do with their time than WHINE about synthetic tracks.

POLY's been a gold mine for me. POLY is predictable.

P.S.

I gave out Richard's Kid on another forum.

Took me all of 5 minutes to 'handicap' the race. (Let's bash those Fat Charts some more.)

[Bigsmc]

Originally Posted by the_fat_man

P.S.

I gave out Richard's Kid on another forum.

Took me all of 5 minutes to 'handicap' the race. (Let's bash those Fat Charts some more.)

redboard.jpg

[Bobby Fischer]

I not only hated that track , but I hated the field as well.

Del Mar is pretty crappy in general other than the purse structure. It's poly track is different than the pro ride or cushion and the length of the stretch at Del Mar is too small.

Rail Trip looked unlikely to translate his form (and this was probably a terrible spot for him for that reason). But he ran OK, picked up a check and if he is fine, he may like the pro-ride BCC, depends how it is playing.

Einstein and Colonel John as the only other real grade2 horses in the race seemed like reliable picks. CJ's recent turf race was at least cause for optimism that he had a chance to be a grade1 horse.

Then there were about 7 longshots who could conceivably compete, and that isn't including Richards Kid, who seemed to be much too mediocre in spite of any Baffert magic. - Although i wasn't going to play this race, and I didn't watch Richards Kid's 12furlong prep- who knows maybe he looked to be competitive from that race.

[CSC]

Hindsight's 20-20, The last 1/4 was run in mediocre 25.02, if ever a race was made for Zenyatta to beat males it was yesterday. This could have been a historic weekend where 2 fillies would have won 2 grade 1's in open company, all I can think about is what could have been.