All things considered, I still think a dirt track with a proper base is better for horses than a synthetic track. Most trainers would agree with this.
The move to synthetic stems from Keeneland and Del Mar.
Keeneland could never figure out a way to have a normal dirt track. They tried a lot of different things and finally went to Poly.
Del Mar has always had trouble with its base because of its proximity to the Pacific ocean. There are sink holes that are difficult to fill.
Rick Shapiro went over board and threw out the baby with the bathwater.
Things spiraled out of control after that.
The best news is that because most racetracks are broke, nobody right now seems like pushing synthetic tracks, thank goodness.
