Presque Isle Downs, which plans to open Sept. 1 for its inaugural Thoroughbred meet, will have a synthetic surface, and a decision on the manufacturer could be finalized by the end of April.
Presque Isle, located near Erie, Pa., opened
Recent temperature drops have given officials at a northern Kentucky racetrack the opportunity to review how well Polytrack surface material handles cold weather, according to a Jan. 26 report in the Lexington
Bay Meadows Race Course, long rumored to be facing demolition in favor of redevelopment plans approved by the city of San Mateo, might seek an exemption from a California Horse Racing Board mandate to replace its existing dirt track with an
Arlington Park announced today that it will begin construction immediately to replace its conventional dirt track with a new state-of-the-art, synthetic racing surface to enhance athlete safety in advance of the 2007 race meet, which begins on
It’s difficult to get away from talk of synthetic surfaces, whether it concerns racing in North America, Asia, Europe, or Dubai.
At this year’s Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs Nov. 4, a prominent European horseman said surfaces such as
For the second time in six months, tragedy struck one of Thoroughbred racing’s showcase events. The arrival of a new racing surface, however, could usher in an era of safer American tracks.
Pine Island was fatally injured and Fleet Indian
Racing may have been winding down on Saturday, Oct. 28, the final day of Keeneland’s fall meet in Lexington, Ky., but top stakes contenders were taking advantage of the opportunity to get in one last work over Polytrack before the Breeders’ Cup
As Keeneland officials noted with a laugh, it couldn’t have been better scripted. But sometimes in horse racing, things have a funny way of coming together despite numerous factors. And on Friday, opening day at the Lexington racetrack, they did
You’ve heard the names: Cushion Track, Polytrack, Tapeta, StaLok. They are the trademark names of the major players in racing’s latest frontier: the new North American market to replace dirt tracks with synthetic ones.
Pardon the pun, but o
Demi Song bounced his way into Canadian Thoroughbred record books at Woodbine Aug. 30 when the gelding won the first race over the track’s new Polytrack surface.
Woodbine is only the second track in North America to hold a race meeting o
Woodbine Racetrack unveiled its state-of-the-art Polytrack racing surface for training today (Aug. 27).
Hundreds of horses galloped, jogged, or walked while 84 recorded timed workouts ranging from two furlongs to seven furlongs during th
Woodbine Entertainment Group has targeted Aug. 30 for its first race to take place on the Toronto track’s new state-of-the-art Polytrack surface.
“We expect to complete the installation of the Polytrack on top of the macadam (final
The Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md., plans to install the Tapeta all-weather surface on its training track during the summer of 2006, it announced May 31.
The synthetic surface, designed by trainer Michael Dickinson and first
Woodbine Entertainment Group announced last Thursday (June 2) it has received approval from the Ontario Racing Commission to drop nine dates from Woodbine’s 2006 Thoroughbred racing schedule.
The altered calendar is to accommodate
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.
Some elements of an equestrian facility shouldn’t be taken for granted–solid fencing, sturdy shelter, and good arena footing among them. Then there are areas that sometimes get less attention than they deserve. Pathways around the farm often
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