Santa Anita

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Breeders Cup is there this year and by the sounds of things they have plenty to get sorted before the big event. New synthetic surface looks to be giving them loads of problems. The American racing forums have been going mental about this and I hope it doesnt encourage other American tracks who might have been thinking about going from dirt to synthetic to stick with the dirt.

Santa Anita cancels Saturday’s card due to rain


by Tom Musgrave

Santa Anita Park has canceled its Saturday card, which included the $150,000 San Pasqual Handicap (G2) and the $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3), due to inclement weather.

The Southern California track's all-weather Cushion Track surface had been experiencing drainage problems recently, and with heavy rains pounding the area this weekend, track officials ordered the main track to be sealed on Thursday in an attempt to stave off the negative effects of the rain.

"We got close to five inches of rain last night," said Santa Anita Racing Secretary Rick Hammerle. He said the track crew would work on trying to dry out the track all day on Saturday with plans to conduct live racing on Sunday.

"We're going one day at a time, but as of right now, we're racing tomorrow," Hammerle said Saturday.

The San Pasqual, a 1 1/16-mile race for older horses, and the Santa Ysabel, a 1 1/16-mile race for three-year-old fillies, will be rescheduled for January 12 or 13, the Santa Anita racing office reported.


Santa Anita's sand-based training track will remain open.

The chance of rain overnight Saturday in the Arcadia, California, area is 60%, with a 70% chance of rain on Sunday, according to Weather.com.
 
Five inches of rain in one night is torrential by our standards, equivalent to two months average rainfall in Dublin or about four months in London.
 
No decision on Santa Anita surface




Benoit & Associates photo
Officials are considering tearing out Santa Anita Park’s Cushion Track and replacing it with a traditional dirt surface.

Santa Anita has been looking into a contingency plan after drainage problems with the Cushion Track prompted three straight cancellations from January 5-7, when the track took on more than seven inches of rain.

Track President Ron Charles hoped to announce plans on Thursday, but he said the decision will require more time.

“Potentially, we’re going to take out the entire Cushion Track out and replace it with another surface,” he said. “If we’re going to put dirt in, we have to make sure we have a very high-quality surface … and we just need more time. This is a major, major decision.”

The California Horse Racing Board has scheduled a special meeting for January 17 to consider issuing Santa Anita a waiver of the mandate requiring major tracks in the state to race over synthetic surfaces.

Santa Anita adhered to the mandate in replacing its dirt surface with Cushion Track over the summer. Drainage problems first became apparent when the track took on heavy rain prior to the Oak Tree at Santa Anita last fall.

The track allowed training on the Cushion Track on Wednesday for the first time since January 4.
 
A decision....

Santa Anita to modify racing surface
The Associated Press
Article Last Updated: 01/16/2008 01:29:19 PM PST

ARCADIA, Calif.—Santa Anita is changing its racing surface, hoping the additions will make the track easier on horses and hold up better in different weather.

The changes were prompted by the hardening and poor drainage of the synthetic surface.

Santa Anita officials had considered replacing the $11 million surface that was installed last fall with natural dirt. But track president Ron Charles said Tuesday a nationwide search failed to turn up the 20,000 tons of dirt needed in such a short time.

Charles said it will take up to 12 days to produce a stabilizing binder that will be mixed into the surface without having to remove or displace the track.

"It is our intent to schedule the application so as to minimize any disruption to training or racing," he said.

Santa Anita was forced to cancel three consecutive days of racing recently after heavy rain led to unsafe conditions. The current meeting runs through April 20.

Testing in Australia and at the University of Southern California showed that the surface needed a binder to encapsulate the fine silt contained in the sand, Charles said.

The binder will promote stability and allow rainwater to drain through the 7 inches of synthetic surface that lies atop a porous asphalt base, he said.

"With the addition of polymers and fiber, the surface becomes kinder, more consistent and it cushions the impact of the track on the horses," Charles said. "It functions properly in diverse weather conditions and reduces the amount of kickback."
 
No racing today or tomorrow following more rain.

Yesterday there was a track record in the sprint (6F in 1.06.5)

SantaAnitaCancelsBen298.jpg
 
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