• Sportsbook Main
• 
• Schedules
• Football
• Basketball/Hockey
• Baseball
• 
• Scoreboard
• Matchups
• News
• 
• Sports Blog
• Horse Racing Help
• 
• Teasers
• Parlays
• Buying Points
• 
• Sportsbetting for Dummies
• 
• VIP Offers!
• Bonuses

How Santa Anita's New Main Track Is Playing

By GREG MELIKOV

What a difference racing surfaces make. During the 1990s six track records were set on Santa Anita's main dirt strip from five furlongs to 1 1/16 miles.

Things have changed since synthetic surfaces were installed last year. Here's a look at how three of the seven distances for main track Breeders' Cup races compare covering the past three meetings at Santa Anita.

At the '07 Oak Tree meeting Sept. 26-Nov. 4 over the Cushion Track, 31 percent of 67 winners at six furlongs went wire to wire, according to Brisnet.com.

From Dec. 26 through last April 20 during Santa Anita's meeting, when Pro-Ride materials were mixed with the Cushion Track, 18 percent of horses in 130 contests scored on the front end.

This year from Sept. 24 to Oct. 11, only 12 percent of 32 winners led at every call of the six furlongs over the Pro-Ride surface. However, the number jumped to 27 percent the past 11 races ending Oct. 11.

In all three instances, the most successful running style was stalking while horses breaking from mid-post positions did best.

At a mile, 11 percent of 28 races last fall at Oak Tree were wire jobs. At Santa Anita's meeting, 29 percent of 55 winners led all the way. So far, 18 percent of 11 winners were in front at every call.

Closers did best at the first two meetings while stalking is the most successful running style so far this fall.

At 1 1/16 miles, 12 percent of the winners at 1 1/16 miles in 26 races last fall at Oak Tree led all the way. The number rose to 19 percent in 74 races at Santa Anita. Closers did best.

This fall only 5 percent of 14 winners at the distance have triumphed at Oak Tree. Stalkers are performing best.

During the first two weeks, horses on the outside aren't at a disadvantage, according to Brisnet.com. That's because footing on synthetic tracks is just as good on the far outside as it is on the rail. Unlike dirt tracks where far outside paths might not even be groomed, synthetic ovals are uniform

"If you go to the front with no one in front of you, the rail is as good as any path," Dick Powell writes. "If you are sitting the pocket and getting kickback, the rider might swing to the outside sooner than wait for an inside opening."

The last time the Breeders' Cup was staged at Santa Anita five years ago the main track was dirt. So how do you handicap for today's new synthetic surface that has had very few races involving the six BC contests spread over Oct. 24-25?

Frankly, it's going to be difficult.

Two years ago before the 23rd BC was held at Churchill Downs, I wrote:

"I remember when the most favorable racetrack for closers was Hialeah Race Course. Unfortunately, the historic South Florida track that opened in 1925 and I enjoyed for quite a few decades until the 21st Century is history.

"Polytrack surfaced this year at several facilities: Turfway Park, Keeneland and Woodbine. Keeneland bettors expecting the usual speed bias were unpleasantly surprised as horses on or near the pace at all routes were doomed as closers dominated.

"At Hollywood Park, where the Cushion Track replaced dirt, closers are doing best. According to Brisnet.com, the winning running style is roaring from behind at seven furlongs and 1 1/16 miles.

"Historic Hialeah's stretch was 1,075 while Hollywood's is 991, considerably shorter than the 1,346 feet at Fair Grounds. Woodbine's is only 975 feet, five feet longer than Turfway Park.

"So the length of the stretch isn't necessarily a factor in playing to closers, but the racing surface is."

"The final verdict on the bias at individual tracks won't be in for several years so watch and act accordingly."

One expert suggests we handicap races the same way we do for dirt or turf - analyze all the angles. This pro says early speed doesn't do as well on most all synthetic surfaces, stalkers perform almost as good as on dirt and closers do better.

I agree with several racing columnists that say pay attention to horses that do well on synthetic surfaces. In addition, consider class, jockey-trainer combinations and horses that did well on Santa Anita's synthetic surfaces.