New racetrack surface seen as way to prevent injuries to horses
By Richard Wronski

Chicago Tribune
(MCT)

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Set amid bluegrass hills in the heart of thoroughbred country, the storied Keeneland track is about to give tradition a horse kick.
On Friday, the thoroughbreds will start galloping on a light brown mix of waxy sand, polypropylene fibers and recycled rubber - in essence, high-tech fake dirt.
Many in the industry are touting these new surfaces as the best way to reduce injuries and save the lives of scores of valuable horses every year. Tracks that have switched to synthetic surfaces report a significant drop in the number of so-called "catastrophic breakdowns" that required an animal to be euthanized.
Among those closely watching Keeneland will be Arlington Park, where fatal injuries to horses nearly doubled this year, to 21 from 12 in 2005.
A similar rash of deaths spurred California to mandate synthetic surfaces at its major courses, and a Canadian track has made the switch as well.
Safer, more consistent all-weather racing surfaces could result in healthier horses, stiffer competition and bigger purses for an ailing industry, experts say. But going from dirt to synthetic costs anywhere from $5 million to $10 million per track and would represent a jarring break from tradition.
Trainers and jockeys familiar with synthetic surfaces say they provide a better cushion for pounding hooves. They also present a more uniform surface than dirt tracks, which are usually a loamy mix of sand, silt and clay.
"The feeling is like if you were to run across a lawn after running across a sidewalk," said longtime trainer John Ward, whose horse Monarchos won the 2001 Kentucky Derby. "This is not grass but it has the same feel that a good rich lawn has."
Synthetic surfaces are "the hot topic right now," said F. Douglas Reed, director of the University of Arizona's Race Track Industry Program in Tucson. "Horsemen are conservative in nature and aren't going to jump to any conclusions. But hopefully getting good results from Kentucky and elsewhere will make a difference."
Fatal breakdowns have always been an inevitable, but little-noted part of the sport. But that changed last May when Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro suffered a triple fracture moments after charging out of the gate at the Preakness.
Barbaro's plight captured the nation's attention as owners and veterinarians took extraordinary measures to save the animal's life. Most thoroughbreds aren't so lucky. Injured horses are often euthanized on the spot, much to the shock of fans in the grandstands.
Comprehensive figures on catastrophic breakdowns aren't kept, but some experts believe as many as 700 horses a year are put down in the U.S. and Canada from injuries that occurred during racing.
Arlington Park's breakdowns received widespread attention this summer, but inspections ordered by the Illinois Racing Board determined the track's surface was not to blame. Still, Arlington officials decided to spend the off-season weighing the switch to synthetic, said Roy Arnold, the track's president.
Such a changeover could cost about $7 million, Arnold acknowledged. Arlington and parent Churchill Downs will "do what's right for Illinois racing," he said, adding that changing a track's surface is an emotional issue.
"There are deep-seated feelings," he said. ""It's like changing Wrigley Field." Getting tracks to switch to synthetic isn't a sure thing, experts say. The racing industry as a whole appears unconvinced, since the competing products are relatively new to the U.S.
Questions remain about which tracks would benefit from going synthetic_not all have had problems with breakdowns. There are concerns about the durability of the surfaces, and how they can adjust to changing weather conditions.
Another worry is how much horses and jockeys will inhale the fibers amid the "kickback" from a galloping field.
From a distance, the synthetic surfaces at Keeneland and Turfway have the same light brown appearance as dirt. But up close, long strands of red, yellow, green and blue fibers are visible, mixed in with the waxy sand and rubber.
Many insiders say tracks today are no less safe than during Seabiscuit's day. Rather, modern thoroughbreds are bred more for speed than durability, they say.
"There is unanimous opinion among owners, breeders and trainers that today's horse is much more fragile than the horse of three decades ago," said Michael Dickinson, a Maryland trainer and owner of a company that makes synthetic surfaces.
"The problem lies with the horse, not necessarily with the race track. However, given modern breeding practices, the horse is not going to change. Therefore we have to modernize the racing surface."
While maybe not on a par with the installation of lights at Wrigley, the switch to synthetic at Keeneland, a national historic landmark, has stirred horseracing, officials admit.
"We cherish our tradition. We flaunt our tradition," said Nick Nicholson, the president and CEO of the Keeneland Association, which also hosts the world's largest thoroughbred auctions.
"This might look like a radical step but perhaps it's the most traditional step we've ever taken, in that it's undoubtedly better for the horse."
Part-owned by Keeneland, Turfway Park in Florence, Ky., became the first U.S. track to use a synthetic surface last September. Through the close of the 2006 winter/spring meet, three horses suffered catastrophic breakdowns on-track, compared with 24 for the same period last year, said Bob Elliston, Turfway's president.
Keeneland and Turfway installed Polytrack, a brand used at several British tracks. Keeneland is partners with Britain's Martin Collins in marketing the surface. This month, Toronto's Woodbine opened its season on Polytrack.
California's Horse Racing Board ordered that five race courses switch from dirt by the end of 2007. In November, Hollywood Park near Los Angeles will open its meet on Polytrack's competitor, Cushion Track.
Del Mar, near San Diego, is planning its change to synthetic after suffering 18 breakdowns during the recent season.
In addition to more cushioning, synthetic surfaces have sophisticated engineering - water drains vertically instead of horizontally toward track infields. Muddy conditions are eliminated and tracks can handle poor weather better, proponents say.
Since Polytrack was installed at Turfway, no races were cancelled despite several days of heavy rain and snowstorms. As the thoroughbreds lined up under the bright lights at Turfway on a recent evening, longtime horseplayer Tom Tracy, 54, of Florence said the change was for the better. The new surface bodes well for the fans as well as the horses, Tracy said.
Watching horses go down on Turfway's old dirt surface was a difficult experience, Tracy said. "A couple of friends of mine - well, their wives quit coming because of that," he said.
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© 2006, Chicago Tribune.
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