Tapeta Gives Golden Gate a Boost
Golden Gate Fields experienced an increase in all-sources handle and a decrease in catastrophic injuries during its first meet with a synthetic surface.
Synthetic Surfaces
News, Articles, Videos and other content about Synthetic Surfaces
In Summation Sharp in Palos Verdes
- By Tom LaMarra
- News, Racing, West Region
Waterford Stable's In Summation again showed his affinity for synthetic surfaces with a game and blazing victory in the $150,000 Palos Verdes Handicap (gr. II) for 4-year-olds and up at Santa Anita Park Jan. 21.
Additive May Aid Santa Anita Track
Synthetic material that includes a liquid binder will be added to Santa Anita Park's main surface in an effort to improve drainage, the Southern California racetrack announced Jan. 15.
Horses Set to Work at Santa Anita
- By Tracy Gantz
- News
Horses are expected to return to training on the main Santa Anita Park racing surface Dec. 22 following a renovation of the Cushion Track to fix a drainage problem.
Rain Stalls Cushion Track Project
- By Tracy Gantz
- News
Rain has further delayed renovation of the Cushion Track at Santa Anita Park.
Santa Anita Hoping to Beat the Rain
Santa Anita Park's renovation of its Cushion Track to improve drainage encountered further delays as rain threatened the Southern California area, but track president Ron Charles said Dec. 16 horses could be back training by Dec. 19.
Santa Anita Examines Racing Surface
Santa Anita Park, currently open for training only, will close its main track Dec. 3-10 to examine its new Cushion Track surface due to problems with drainage.
Breeders' Cup Expansion on Agenda
- By Tom LaMarra
- News
The Breeders' Cup board of directors will discuss international participation in the World Championships, new races, and potential host sites for 2009 during its Dec. 7 meeting.
OBS Unveils Synthetic Surface
- By Esther Marr
- News
Ocala Breeders' Sale Co., which recently completed the conversion of its one-mile dirt racetrack to an all-weather SAFETRACK surface, had its first horses work over the new track Nov. 16.
Irish Trainer: Breeders' Cup Shouldn't Be Run on Dirt
- By Mark Popham
- News
Jim Bolger, one of the leading trainers in Ireland, is reported as saying a dirt surface should never again be used for the Breeders' Cup World Championships.
Miss Macy Sue Masters Tapeta at Presque Isle
- By Tom LaMarra
- News, Racing
Miss Macy Sue most likely stamped her ticket to the Breeders' Cup World Championships with a convincing victory in the Sept. 15 Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes, centerpiece of the inaugural meet at the track near Erie, Pa.
Commentary: Dirt Racing's Demise?
By Tanya Gunther - It is impossible to put my head in the sand and ignore the demise of dirt racing's dramatic impact on the sport.
'Polytrack Lab' Turfway Has More Data, Answers
- By Tom LaMarra
- News
Opening night, Sept. 5, will mark the two-year anniversary of the debut of Polytrack at Turfway Park, officials of which continue to collect data on a daily basis to learn more about the surface.
No Synthetic Surface at Prairie Meadows--For Now
- By Dan Johnson
- News
Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino won't be compelled to install a synthetic racing surface, at least not in the immediate future. But the Iowa track's dirt surface could be the topic of future discussion.
Presque Isle Downs Puts Tapeta Footings to the Test
- By Ron Mitchell
- News
Presque Isle Downs, returning racing to the Erie area for the first time in 20 years, is the first American racetrack to use Tapeta Footings' unique artificial material for its track surface.
Presque Isle Debuts With Lots of Cash, Shippers Galore
- By Tom LaMarra
The first race of the inaugural meet at Presque Isle Downs may very well tell the tale: There is lots of money up for grabs, and horses are coming from all over the place.
Cushion Track Ready for Training at Santa Anita
Santa Anita Park, which has been closed for training and under major construction since July 5, will unveil its new Cushion Track surface for training on Sept. 4.
Bay Meadows Granted Waiver, Will Race in 2008
The California Horse Racing Board has approved a one-year conditional waiver from the state mandate for synthetic surfaces for Bay Meadows.
New Pennsylvania Track to Install Tapeta Surface
- By Claire Novak
- News
Presque Isle Downs, the new Erie, Pa., track owned by MTR Gaming Group, will install Michael Dickinson's synthetic Tapeta racing surface before its inaugural Thoroughbred meet begins Sept. 1.
Street Sense Jogs Mile Day After Winning Kentucky Derby
Early visitors to the stable area at Churchill Downs received a rare treat Sunday morning when Street Sense jogged a mile one day after winning the Kentucky Derby.
Polytrack Creator Acknowledges Adjustment Problems
- By Mark Popham
- News
Martin Collins, creator of the Polytrack artificial surface, said the surface has encountered some problems in North America, but it's still much better than American dirt tracks, which tend to be inconsistent.
New Pennsylvania Track to Have Synthetic Surface
- By Tom LaMarra
- News
Presque Isle Downs, the new Erie, Pa.-area racetrack that plans to open Sept. 1 for its inaugural Thoroughbred meet, will have a synthetic surface.
Woodbine Has Plan to Address Polytrack Problems
- By Esther Marr
- News
Woodbine in Canada will employ a two-step process beginning in May in an attempt to improve the Polytrack surface it installed last summer.
Arlington in Final Phase of Polytrack Installation
Arlington Park is in the final phase of installing an $11-million Polytrack surface that will debut when live racing begins May 4.
Turfway in Deal to Simulcast British Racing in U.S.
Turfway Park will begin distributing simulcast signals from racetracks in Great Britain beginning March 31.
Committee Calls for Ban on Certain Toe Grabs
A commmittee that sprung from last year's Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit is calling for a ban of toe grabs with a height greater than four millimeters.
Temperature Believed to Have Impact on Polytrack
- By Tom LaMarra
- News
Though the evidence may be largely anecdotal, it appears swings in temperature can impact Polytrack and its consistency.
Arlington Park to Install Polytrack for $10 Million
Arlington Park announced Feb. 6 it will install Polytrack for its meet that begins May 4.
Coastal Commission Approves Del Mar Polytrack
The California Coastal Commission has approved plans by Del Mar to replace its dirt surface with a synthetic Polytrack, track officials said.
Spanning the Globe
- By Ray Paulick
Ray Paulick - It's difficult to get away from talk of synthetic surfaces, whether it concerns racing in North America, Asia, Europe, or Dubai.
Empire Racing Releases New York Safety Plan
Empire Racing Associates, a finalist for New York's Thoroughbred racing franchise, on Nov. 27 released a plan addressing measures designed to improve racing and training safety.
Hollywood Races Sunday After Addressing Cushion Track Complaints
- By Ray Paulick
- News
Hollywood Park planned to conduct a full card of racing on its Cushion Track Sunday, one day after jockeys complained late in the day about "waves," or clumps of synthetic material, that a track official said were caused by problems with the equipment used to maintain the new surface.
NJSEA Officials Exploring Dual-Breed Synthetic Surface
Members of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority racing team, as well as two trainers, visited Tapeta Farm in Maryland recently to review a synthetic racing surface with the inventor of Tapeta, trainer Michael Dickinson.
Evans Says Product Doesn't Have to Be Boring
- By Tom LaMarra
- News
The new chief executive officer of Churchill Downs Inc. believes horse racing has an opportunity to move to another level if the industry embraces a new way of thinking.
New 'Cushion Track' Attracts Out-of-Towners
Hollywood Park, which will debut its Cushion Track for racing when its fall meet begins Nov. 1, is expecting some out-of-town trainers to send horses after the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs.
Keeneland Unveils Polytrack, Other Improvements
Keeneland officials held a press briefing Thursday morning to unveil its new Polytrack surface and to also showcase several other improvements that have been made for the fall meeting that gets underway Oct. 6.
California Dates Discussed; Hollywood Park Objects
Cementing the 2007 racing schedule in the state remained the focus of the California Horse Racing Board Strategic Alliance Planning Committee, which met Sept. 19 for the third time.
Del Mar Gets Initial Approval for Synthetic Track
- By Jack Shinar
- News
The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club gained unanimous approval Sept. 12 to install an $8 million synthetic surface from the board of directors of the agricultural district that oversees the seaside track.
Turfway Surface: A Little Tan, a Lot Less Kickback
- By Tom LaMarra
- News
From a distance, it looks like dirt--a little on the tan side. Up close, it looks like fake dirt. But it's really just modified Polytrack, complete with Spandex, cabling material, and more sand.
Polytrack Projects Continue at Turfway, Keeneland
- By Tom LaMarra
- News
Racing surface projects continued Aug. 24 at two Kentucky tracks, with a new mix of materials being placed on top of the Polytrack at Turfway Park, and construction crews laying the asphalt layer for the new Polytrack that will debut at Keeneland in October.
CHRB Looks at Safety, Out-of-Competition Testing
The California Horse Racing Board is studying ways to promote the health of racehorses and reduce on-track injuries, as well as implement a plan for out-of-competition testing.
Group Studies Synthetic Racing Surfaces for New York
- By Tom Precious
- News
A fledgling group of owners and breeders in New York has launched a new effort to study a variety of issues affecting the safety of Thoroughbred horses, including whether some of the state's racetracks should install alternative racing surfaces.
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