Ill, I\'ve read the current internet discussions and articles.
Those articles don\'t support the blanket statements made about all synthetic tracks (injury rates have increased, handle has decreased, track maintenance costs have increased).
SA is obviously a special situation, look at Turfway, Kee, Hollywood, Presque Isle - good comparison stats at those tracks over the past few years.
One can\'t deny or ignore the SA track has just spent a terrific three months injury-free in training hours, with horsemen loving the track.
The current problem is probably related (guessing by what people from the track have said) to the high number of horses going over the surface now (track maintenance).
SA problems now obviously doesn\'t mean all synthetics are crap.
SA likely has a volume problem, which can hopefully be rectified with track maintenance alterations.
Will it cost that track to have increased maintenance costs over dirt when all is said and done? We\'ll have to see. If it will, then rip it out if they want.
It\'s fine people don\'t like the various synthetic tracks (for reasons I find baffling regarding handicapping concerns, but everyone is an individual)
But there is no place in the ongoing discussion for broad, all-encompassing statements about synthetics regarding injury, costs, handle, etc that are simply unsupported by reality.
