Keeneland to install Polytrack

The board of directors of Keeneland Racecourse on Wednesday unanimously approved a project to replace the track's dirt surface this summer with the synthetic surface known as Polytrack, Keeneland officials said.

The project, which will begin in May after the spring meet closes, is scheduled to be completed by early September, a month prior to the start of the Keeneland fall meet on Oct. 6. The project will also entail reconfiguring the track's racing oval to make the shape more symmetrical. Other parts of the project include the installation of lights that will be used during morning training hours and the placement of antennas around the track to collect handicapping data using microchips embedded in horse's saddlecloths, officials said.