Another fatality at Del Mar
Two jockeys were injured and one horse was euthanized during Del Mar training hours Monday morning, San Diego Union-Tribune racing writer Hank Wesch reported on his blog.
Zetta's Corridor, a 3-year-old filly trained by Kathy Walsh, broke a front leg and fell at about 8:15 a.m., tossing exercise rider David Rodriguez to the ground. Zetta's Corridor, who finished third in her career debut at Del Mar on July 31, had to be euthanized and became the 11th fatality at the track since July 19.
There has been no word on the condition of Rodriguez, who was taken to Scripps La Jolla Hospital.
Wesch also reports that at about 6:15 a.m., exercise rider Rachael Escamilla was unseated from her mount near the chute at the west end of the stretch from which 1 1/4 mile races are started.
Escamilla was reportedly unconscious for a short period and was also taken to Scripps La Jolla for treatment of undetermined injuries.
Wow! This is getting almost as bad as 2006
I kinda sucks for the Racing Executives who lied to us about fatalities and injuries on synthetic surfaces in 2007 and 2008. Now that we are counting this year their spin about the safer surfaces is laughable.
Sorry for the Horses and Connetions who don't deserve this crap!
It's definately not that synthetic surfaces are not safer than traditional dirt surfaces. Look at any other track OUTSIDE of California and the breakdown rate: it's drastically lower than they were before they converted.
I hate to say it, but what this boils down to is a lack of maintenance on the track. Yeah, whoever said these tracks require no maintenance absolutely lied. They require about the same, maybe slightly less, maintenance than traditional dirt surfaces. These tracks need power harrowed (tilled) or even plowed at least weekly to bring the sand back to the surface and to remix it.
The true beauty of a synthetic surface is kind of lost in California: being always rated fast. Take Del Mar, they only get an average of slightly less than 12 inches of rain a year. Here in Lexington where Keeneland is we get on average slightly less than 46 inches a year. In theory, having this always fast surface is safer than having a surface that retains water (and for Turfway Park one that does not fall victim of the freeze/thaw process in the winter). I'm not saying it doesn't rain in California (we all know the slosh fest that was Santa Anita in their Cushion Track days).
I'm by far no expert, but living in Kentucky where Turfway Park and Keeneland both has converted over to Polytrack I have witnessed first hand the number of fatal breakdowns decline sharply. Granted, Turfway Park did have a spell a few winters back that saw an increase in the amount of fatal breakdowns, but look at the poor caliber of the horses that run there during the winter. Many of these horses have no business on a racetrack whatsoever.
Have the exec's who decreed that all California tracks be sythetic ever been investigated for personal financial gains they may have gotten?
Bulletman,
I think you need some sort of proof or reason to investigate a charge like that. Thus far, all involved in the decision claim to have only the best interests of the horses in mind.