Del Mar Race Track Installs Polytrack for 2007 Meet

2008 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park

The 2008 Breeders' Cup, thoroughbred racing's most prestigious event, consisting of 14 Breeders' Cup races and $25.5 million in purses, will be held on October 24-25, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

But before that, Belmont Stakes winner Da'Tara is going to race in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course while Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown will be racing in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.

Posted on Wednesday, November 22nd, 2006

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club has announced the installation of its Polytrack surface as the new main track surface for its 2007 summer racing season. The Polytrack manufacturer is Martin Collins Surfaces and Footings, an affiliate of the Keeneland Association in Lexington.

Polytrack, an engineered racing surface that consists of silica sand, fibers and recycled materials, has been installed on racetracks in the United Kingdom and, most recently, in Kentucky and Canada. The California Horse Racing Board directed that all major tracks in the state have a form of engineered surface in place by the end of 2007.

Del Mar’s engineering and installation plans for Polytrack have received the support of the city of Del Mar and the 22nd District Agricultural Association, the body that oversees the 350-acre, state-owned fairgrounds on which the track sits. Those plans will be presented to the California Coastal Commission for approval in mid-December as the final hurdle before installation can begin.

DMTC officials are quietly confident that the commission’s findings will be positive regarding the installation on its one-mile main track.

Del Mar’s 68th racing season is scheduled from July 18 to Sept. 5, 2007.

Currently, Hollywood Park is the only track in California racing on an engineered track. The Inglewood plant chose Cushion Track for its main track.

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"Del Mar Race Track Installs Polytrack for 2007 Meet" was posted on Wednesday, November 22nd, 2006 at 10:40 am and is filed under Del Mar Race Track, Horse Racing Industry, Race Tracks News, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.