For the true horseracing fan, everything, even chemistry class, is about the race.  Last year, we had to write a report about anything that had to do with chemistry.  I tackled the controversial topic of Traditional Dirt surface verses the new Synthetic tracks, like Tapeta and Polytrack. 

At first, I was worried that I would not have enough information to complete five pages, and we prepared to go into extreme details mode in order to take up the allotted space.  Fortunately for me, I found not only five pages worth of information, but bucket loads more that I could not fit in!

With that, I give you, My Knowledge:

• Martin Collins invented the synthetic surface in England for turf horses to use in the winter months.  That’s right – turf horses.  That would explain why the turf runners do so well on the new surface while true dirt runners struggle.

• The Polytrack has a complex draining system underneath the wax coated “dirt” which lets the water drain out of the track instead of collecting and creating puddles.

• The installation of the synthetic tracks costs about 11 Million Dollars!

• Horse racing has taken place on dirt tracks (along with turf) since the beginning of racing.

• Even the Darley Arabian, Byerly Turk and Godolphin Arabian (the fathers of the Thoroughbred Bloodline) raced on dirt.

• Synthetic tracks are a bit safer than dirt tracks. 

• It is possible to incorporate Jesus (the Christ) into an essay about racetrack surfaces.

• The race is run differently on synthetic than on dirt.  (Dirt races favor stalkers, or horses who run in the back of the pack during the race, then move up at the end to overtake the tired speed horses.  Synthetic, like turf, favor the running horses.

I have learned a lot from this, but writing an essay about which surface is the better surface, left me just as confused as I was before I wrote it…and probably just as confused as you are now that you read this!