Stronach: Santa Anita to Have Dirt Main Track
Santa Anita is about to become the first California racetrack to abandon the 2006-mandated synthetic surface experiment and return to dirt.
Frank Stronach, chairman of MI Developments that owns the track, made the announcement Aug. 18 an evening meeting of horsemen and racing followers he had called at the Surfside Race Place satellite wagering facility adjacent to the Del Mar track.
A Santa Anita surface that was originally Cushion Track, then a hybrid of that with Pro Ride, then Pro Ride—but failed to drain properly in winter rains under any brand or name—will be replaced soon after the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting ends on Oct. 31. A new dirt surface, estimated by Stronach to cost between $5-6 million, will be installed by the traditional start of the winter/spring meeting on Dec. 26.
For the rest of the article: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/58456/stronach-santa-anita-to-have-dirt-main-track
Posted via email from Michael Pizzolla On ValueCapping™, Horse Racing, And Technology
Can’t always believe what you read on the internet. All of these articles assume Stronach can just do what he pleases. Not so. The CHRB may be greasing the skids for this but they will have to follow procedures which will call for Magna or whatever Stronach calls his entities this week, to make an application for a variance that is based upon pseudo-scientific study ala what was presented at the CHRB meeting on 8/19.
Abandoning synth is hardly a unanimous decision and there are sure to be law suits if proper procedure is not followed. It’s not simply a case of Frank Stronach deciding to do something and then making it so. Like it or not, his is a regulated industry and there are some who are passionately against a return to dirt. They are well backed and unafraid.
Mark