Data show synthetic surfaces reducing horse racing fatalitie

[Fredo]

Only time I can call myself a handicapper is during the TC and the preps and the Super Bowl. Any other time I'm struggling to cash a dime super.Congrats to the year round cappers.

[Vince P]

Alls I know is that when me and Peeking Duck walked around the Churchill's real dirt surface after their last breeders' Cup in 2011, I slipped and fell at least twice and twisted my tibia thing.

But when I walk on Tapeta at GodlenGatebytheBay, I never fall........but dam, my back is always killing me with spams and love and I always end up at the massage parlor for a back rub and yada, yada, yada. Also my throat gets all cluttered up prolly due to the wax, fibers, and other poisonous carbons that help make up fake tracks.

But I guess the polls say they're safer, so who really knows?

Vince P

[Suddenice]

The fatality rate on dirt is twice that of synthetics, and the gap is widening. The Jockey Club would not "spin" the data would they? I think JC is impartial.

Of the eight synthetic tracks, five (KEE, WO, DMR, HOL, AP) offer a high number of quality races - and two of which run short meets. The dirt tracks also take in bottom feeder tracks such as the Los Al's, Beulah's, and Penn National's of north america where fatalities are frequent.

If you took BEL, SAR, MTH, SA and CD, I think the numbers would be much closer to each other during the same study period.

Quit telling the truth Southieboy. LOL

Actually, for BEL, SAR, GP, and SA, the numbers are just as far apart.That's okay though, handicappers and horsemen want 'form' and 'consistency' over safety.

"Statistics for Churchill Downs were not published, but,
for the other four racetracks-- tracks Santa
Anita and Gulfstream, and NYRA tracks Belmont and
Saratoga--for the last three years, fatalities on turf
averaged 1.49 per 1000 starts; dirt, 1.94. For
all-weather, for all tracks, the average was 1.11
fatalities per 1000 starts. So, in choosing dirt over
all-weather, the horsemen, racetracks and handicappers
are choosing consistency of form over safety. In other
words, we're not for safety first, we=re for safety
second."

http://pdfs.thoroughbreddailynews.com/g ... /oppbc.pdf