Cushion Track Problems Linger at Santa Anita

Plus a Review of Two Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park on January 5th

A Column by Steve Davidowitz
January 9, 2008

It is painful and troubling to watch what is going on at Santa Anita racetrack. One of the best race meets of the year is being jeopardized by a faulty synthetic racing surface that should never have been installed in the first place.

True, the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) had a positive motive when it insisted that synthetic racing surfaces should replace traditional dirt at the major California tracks.

As the CHRB hoped, the synthetics have contributed to fewer fatal breakdowns during training and racing hours at Golden Gate Fields, Del Mar and Hollywood Park. But the drainage problems that have plagued Santa Anita's Cushion Track strongly suggest that ample test runs were not carried out to prevent the difficulties that are threatening to stop the game at "The Great Race Place."

From what has been revealed to date, the British-based manufacturing company apparently put in the wrong type of sand needed for the Cushion Track drainage system. The company's engineers also decided that Santa Anita's synthetic surface had to be set up differently than the Cushion Track at Hollywood Park, even though the two tracks are only 20 miles apart and operate in the same climate.

Indeed, it is difficult to understand why Cushion Track officials employed a different composition of sand, rubber wires, wax and dirt designed to withstand high temperatures - weather that never occurs during the winter-spring season in southern California.

These issues have not gone away. When five inches of rain fell on Santa Anita on Friday, January 4th, the racing surface was reduced to a sticky form of pudding. It was downright dangerous. Jockeys who walked the track found many uneven spots as their boots became stuck in the synthetic mud.

As followers of this story know, the unsafe conditions forced the cancellation of racing on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Now, as Cushion Track officials fight all day and all night to repair the surface, there is one realistic fact that is hanging over the situation:

No one really knows if the racing surface will be ready to go on Thursday, January 10th or if Cushion Track racing at Santa Anita will have to be scrapped entirely in favor of a quick move to reinstall a dirt surface to save the meet.

Fortunately, there is no rain in the immediate forecast, which should tilt the odds in favor of a resumption of racing. But, just in case, Hollywood Park is already on deck to handle a shift of Santa Anita's racing schedule, while Del Mar is getting ready to handle any possible need to accommodate horses in training. At the bottom line, Cushion Track officials say they are trying everything to fix the track, while horsemen and horseplayers remain in limbo.

In the meantime, this much is true:

* The four graded stakes that were scrapped when racing was canceled on January 5th, 6th and 7th have been rescheduled for January 12th, 13th and 14th. This reshuffling, mixed in with Santa Anita's four regularly scheduled January 12th and 13th stakes, will set up a classy three-day weekend of eight stakes worth an aggregate $1.125 million. This, of course, depends on dry, stable weather and a racing surface that has been reset to perform normally.

* If there is racing at Santa Anita, or if it is switched sometime soon to Hollywood Park, horsemen and horseplayers will have to make many tricky decisions to assess the effect of forced inactivity on potential horse performance.

For instance, even with only a few days lost last weekend, most of the leading contenders for the rescheduled 1 1/16-mile, $150,000 San Pasqual Handicap (G2) on Saturday, January 12th had to be given extra workouts by their trainers to remain on edge.

Addressing this point on behalf of every horseman on the grounds, trainer Eoin Harty summed up his concerns for Well Armed, who is the logical front running speed in the San Pasqual: "She was dead fit and ready to go last weekend. Now we only hope that the (added) workout (instead of the canceled race) kept her at the same level."

Should all go well with the repairs in progress, the January 12th card is expected to mark the return of last year's Santa Anita Derby and Goodwood Stakes winner Tiago in the $200,000 San Fernando Stakes (G2) for 4-year-olds.

"He looks ready," trainer John Shirreffs said. "But like everybody else, we have to hope that the week did him more good than harm."

On the same January 12th card, the $150,000 San Rafael Stakes at one mile (G2) will unofficially kick off the Triple Crown chase in southern California. Track conditions aside, the expected small field of 3-year-olds have minimal credentials for a Grade 2 race.

The late developing 4-year-old filly Zenyatta will be worth watching however, in the $150,000 El Encino Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles on Sunday, January 13th. Zenyatta was so impressive winning an allowance race at Hollywood Park on December 15th that it will be interesting to see if she can handle graded stakes veterans Tough Tiz's Sis and Dawn After Dawn.

The $150,000 Santa Ynez (G2) at seven furlongs on Sunday is another stakes that should command national attention. Pending actual track conditions, Breeders' Cup Juvenile Filly Champion Indian Blessing is expected to make her 2008 debut. Meanwhile, 2006 filly champion Wait a While might actually benefit from the delay caused by rains last week. As many have observed about her poor performances on wet turf courses, Wait a While may get dry and favorable course conditions for the 1 1/8-mile $150,000 San Gorgonio (G2) rescheduled for Monday, January 14th.

Notwithstanding all of these attractive handicapping puzzles, the biggest question of the hour remains:

Will the desperation repair work succeed in restoring the synthetic Cushion Track surface to normal? Or maybe we should ask if there is any such thing as 'normal' in the synthetic track era.

Review of two sprint stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, January 5th

* The $100,000 Mr. Prospector Handicap (G3) for 4-year-olds and up at 6 furlongs

The hot pace set by Keyed Entry, Finallymadeit and pace-pressing Mach Ride helped strong finishing Noonmark. The latter was patiently placed behind the speed duel and fired when ready along the inside when asked by Rene Douglas. Ever present trainer Steve Asmussen had this one ready, as he does with so many of his horses after a purposeful freshening.

Noonmark was clocked in 1:09.72 for the six furlongs and earned a good Beyer Speed Figure of 105 for his first stakes score. In addition to Asmussen's prolific performance record, astute handicappers who caught this winner at $5.30-$1, probably took careful note of one key fact: Noonmark's best prior performance was a sharp second-place finish in the 7-furlong Swale Stakes (G2) over this track two years ago.

* The $150,000 Hutcheson Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds at 7 furlongs

Smooth Air, assumed by many to be a logical part of the pace picture, was held in reserve along the inside for half a mile by Florida-based jockey Manuel Cruz before he rallied to engage a stubborn Silver Edition in the upper stretch. While Smooth Air prevailed in 1:23.21 for the distance (and a 95 Beyer Speed Figure), Silver Edition ran quite well while the lukewarm favorite Halo Najib threatened but could not sustain his bid.

To this point, the steady Smooth Air has won three of five career outings, with two stakes placings in races restricted to Florida breds. Without faulting his performance, he seems best suited to one-turn races rather than two-turn events leading to the Kentucky Derby.

Silver Edition, a well-built son of Silver Deputy trained by D. Wayne Lukas, might stretch out more effectively but also seems best suited for one-turn sprints.

Halo Najib, trained by Dale Romans, may have needed this outing in his first start since fading to fifth in the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club Cup last fall at Churchill Downs. Allowance winner Golden Spikes did not seem to handle the wet track and the maiden Tiz It tired badly to sixth after setting the pace for five furlongs. There is little question Tiz It would be best spotted for his next outing with other non-winners.

Steve Davidowitz has written two highly acclaimed books on Thoroughbred racing---Betting Thoroughbreds and The Best and Worst of Thoroughbred Racing. He also is a regular contributor to Daily Racing Form's Simulcast Weekly and DRF Plus and his columns appear in the Bodog Racebook each week.