Consistent, regular maintenance and the sharing of information among superintendents are paramount to having quality, safe racing surfaces, said Mick Peterson, MS, PhD, executive director of the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory.

Peterson was a guest speaker last week during the Association of Racing Commissioners International conference in Lexington, Ky. His slide presentation was co-authored by Christie Mahaffey, PhD.

"There is nothing proprietary about maintaining surfaces," Peterson said. "This stuff should be shared. It should be open literature."

Peterson said there are several circumstances that lead to issues with racing surfaces, whether they are dirt, turf, or synthetic. He said regular testing of surfaces is the exception, not the rule; investment in surfaces is reactive rather than proactive; and many racetracks do not have systematic maintenance programs