SANDRACER.COM - Will Polytrack Change USA Racing?

US Horse Racing's Plastic Surgery has begun according to Ted McClelland.

The key point of Ted's interesting insight into US all-weather polytrack versus the dirt racing, for me, is the reduction of injuries.

Ted writes "Polytrack was designed to cut down on bone-snapping injuries, like the one that ultimately cost Barbaro his life. So far, it's doing that: In 2005-06, Turfway's first Polytrack season, there were three fatal breakdowns, compared with 24 the year before."

Other subtle changes, or glaring differences for that matter the American racing industry has noticed between the polytrack surface and the dirt tracks are too numerous too list. I'll let Ted Explain I think.

Not everyone is impressed with the polytrack surface, for example - Andrew Beyer is not enamoured by the polytrack surface atall, nor the difference it makes to how US horses run their races.