Synthetic racetrack surfaces for horse racing

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A synthetic racetrack surface is any kind of surface substance that replaces dirt or sand as the racing surface on a horse racing track. Synthetic surfaces are desirable over traditional surfaces for several reasons, most prominently the reduction of injuries and subsequent deaths to horses because of less wear and tear on their legs, and improved racing conditions in inclement weather. Manufacturers of synthetic racetrack surface materials usually promote the fact that synthetic tracks have drainage qualities superior to natural surfaces, which enables track stewards to rate tracks as "fast" under conditions that would normally result in "slow," "sloppy" or "muddy" conditions. In more extreme conditions such as freezing weather, synthetic surfaces often allow racing to be conducted when it might otherwise be cancelled due to a frozen track.

The first synthetic surface ever to be used for thoroughbred racing was not a replacement for dirt, but instead for turf (grass). Tropical Park's Tartan turf, a synthetic surface similar to Astroturf, was installed in 1966 and used as an alternate inside turf track for several seasons. Tartan turf was never a success with horsemen^[1]. Since then, there has been no known artificial turf track surface put into use at a public track.

The first synthetic surface to replace dirt was installed at Remington Park, Oklahoma in 1988. This surface, called Equitrack, was found to be unsatisfactory and removed and replaced with a traditional dirt surface in 1991 after maintenance difficulties and complaints from horsemen.^[2]

1 Current types of synthetic surface materials
2 References
3 External links

[edit] Current types of synthetic surface materials

There are several such types of synthetic racetrack surfaces being used worldwide.

[edit] Polytrack

The Polytrack all-weather track is a patented synthetic surface for racetracks.

In practice, the term might refer to any kind of synthetic horse racing surface, much as "Kleenex" is often used to refer to any facial tissue.

Polytrack has the texture of natural dirt but is lighter in color. It is a mixture of sand, synthetic fibers and recycled rubber coated with a “microcrystalline wax” and mixed on-site, according to the manufacturer.

Polytrack makes up the top six inches of the racing surface, and requires an extensive drainage system before it is applied. The existing dirt surface is removed first, and a system of pipes is installed. Crushed rock comes next, then a layer of porous macadam, followed by the synthetic.

To date it has been installed at: