Task Force of Synthetic Surfaces

The debate about synthetic racing surfaces heated up last week at Saratoga when a panel of experts convened to discuss the pros and cons of synthetic tracks versus traditional dirt ones. Since the forum was convened by the New York Task Force on Retired Racehorses, the underlying topic was no doubt the future of New York's racing surfaces (although I think its fairly safe to say that not much is going to change in the foreseeable future) but at heart, it was also a discussion of tradition.

A couple of themes were clear, the primary one being the lack of hard core data regarding the safety of one surface over another. Just as there are differences in dirt tracks, there are differences in synthetic ones and it is clear that the "business" aspect of synthetic surfaces may be more of a factor than previously revealed.

Case in point, Sally Goswell of Fair Hill commented that the ongoing relationship the Maryland training facility had with Michael Dickinson, creator of the Tapeta surface at Fair Hill, was paramount in both the decision to select as well as maintain that surface. "We'd be in trouble" if Dickinson retired or returned to training, she admitted. Compare that to the difficult time that Santa Anita had with the vendors of their Cushion Track surface last winter and it becomes clear that not all synthetic surfaces are created equal.

As for tradition, well according to Nick Zito, "There are good dirt tracks around America and we need to preserve them. If you went to a Polytrack situation, you would change history."

I think tradition would be willing to change if innovation, in the form of hard core data on synthetic racing surfaces, resulted in less injuries to horses and riders. The problem with that data is going to be that there is no universal "dirt" surface against which to compare it. There are deep, hard and soft dirt tracks and until there is a consistent, uniform dirt track at all race tracks the data is going to be dicey.

In my opinion, the industry should commission research with the goal of mandating race tracks across the country install either a universal synthetic surface or a universal dirt surface. In other words, first determine which dirt surface is the safest and which synthetic surface is the safest before trying to compare one to the other.

Until then, we're comparing apples to oranges and the data will always be suspect.