Jeff Chapman was on site, while Ryan Stafford and Dennis Moore spoke remotely.
By Byron King
Speaking during a Sept. 10 panel at Churchill Downs, three track superintendents described some of the challenges of maintaining synthetic tracks and improvements to their makeup and performance.
Jeff Chapman, track superintendent at Turfway Park, spoke in person during Track Superintendent Field Day and was joined remotely by Ryan Stafford, senior manager of racing surfaces at Woodbine, and Dennis Moore, a longtime track superintendent at multiple California tracks. Their remarks came on the final day of discussions during the three-day conference, which lured approximately 60 nonvendor attendees, about half of whom were track superintendents. The conference also included track executives, veterinarians, and industry educational leaders.
The conference focused on sharing best practices to maintain various track surfaces and equipment demonstrations.
In Tuesday’s synthetic panel moderated by veterinarian Dr. Will Farmer, equine medical director for Churchill Downs Inc., all three superintendents acknowledged developments in the synthetic surfaces since their expansion in North America roughly 20 years ago. Such surfaces are not maintenance-free or entirely all-weather, as initially marketed.
Chapman said Turfway’s move from dirt to Polytrack in 2005 made a “world of difference.” However, it was not until the introduction of a track-maintenance tool called the cultivator came into use that his staff was best able to maintain the track. Turfway experiences a range of different types of weather and precipitation when it runs during the winter.
“The cultivator was our savior,” he said. “If we had that in the beginning, we’d have been a lot better off.”
Turfway Park now has a Tapeta Footings surface, replacing Polytrack after using it for 15 years. Woodbine switched earlier, going from Polytrack to Tapeta after 10 years in 2016. Tapeta is the market leader in North America.
Other tracks, such as Keeneland and those in California, resumed racing on dirt for various reasons, ranging from drainage issues and underperformance in California to handicapping perception and how synthetic surfaces impacted graded stakes races in Kentucky.
Presque Isle Downs, like Turfway, races strictly on synthetic, but of late, most tracks in recent years that have opted to add a synthetic track have chosen to place one inside their dirt and turf tracks. That is the case at Gulfstream Park and is planned for Belmont Park, which will run over Tapeta during the winter months when the New York track reopens in 2026 following rebuilding.
A synthetic surface is also under consideration for Saratoga Race Course, which after two summers of wet weather has seen many off-the-turf races depleted of entrants when moved to the main track. Most horsemen believe turf horses can transfer their form to synthetic better than to dirt.
Horses are also statistically less at risk for fatal injuries when racing on a synthetic track vs. dirt or turf.
Santa Anita Park also has a synthetic training track, one its operators hope can be used during periods of inclement weather. Rain, more frequent in the winter compared to other times of the year, now forces the track to cancel racing under the California Horse Racing Board’s strict inclement weather policy. To move forward, that option still needs trial-race testing and CHRB approval.
Moore oversaw the 1987 installation at Remington Park of Equitrack, the first synthetic track in the United States. He later worked with synthetic tracks in California when their use was initially mandated by the CHRB in 2006 (for racing in 2008). All the Southern California tracks still operating have returned to dirt racing since.
He currently maintains the Tapeta training track at Santa Anita and said synthetic tracks in Southern California require watering “to cool down. You’re watering to keep it from changing, to keep it more stable and consistent.”
The wax that binds with the fibers, sand, rubber, and other materials on a synthetic surface will break down if the surface temperature is too hot.
Breakdowns of binding materials, which can also happen from extended usage, can lead to fibers separating, creating kickback.
Turfway and Woodbine deal with more rain and frozen precipitation, which is more easily handled during times when the track is not racing.
Synthetic tracks, when they drain properly, can withstand rain and remain “fast” due to their vertical draining system but are not immune from blockages. When Woodbine canceled racing Aug. 17, the original date of its popular King’s Plate program, approximately five inches of rain that fell in the early afternoon proved too much for the track to handle.
Woodbine had “a couple spots not draining as fast as they should have,” leading to extra buildup, and a section on the backstretch where the Tapeta had become compacted, Stafford said.
The synthetic discussion followed a session led by Greg Stiles, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s racetrack accreditation manager, regarding procedures and requirements for a racetrack to become accredited.
Track surface experts Jim Pendergest, Glen Kozak, and Jamie Richardson were among those who spoke the previous day.
Track Superintendent Field Day, which rotates around the country, will be held in 2025 at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in Grantville, Pa.
