Polytrack era comes to a close Sunday in Southern California

The Polytrack era at Del Mar ends Sunday, and the racetrack plans to give away the synthetic material to the first takers.

Through December, the surface will be removed from the racetrack and stored on the infield of the backstretch training track. While work begins on the installation of the dirt track that will be used for racing beginning in 2015, Del Mar will offer the Polytrack surface to anyone, free of charge.

“We’ll load it up for you,” track president Joe Harper said.

Harper said the racetrack has notified the show-horse community that the material is available and is suitable for show rings and horse paths.

The Polytrack surface was installed at Del Mar in 2007 at a time when such synthetic surfaces were commonplace at the state’s major racetracks. Del Mar is the last Southern California track to have such a surface. Santa Anita replaced its troubled synthetic track in the summer of 2011. Hollywood Park had a synthetic track until it was closed for development last December.

After Sunday, the only racetrack in the state with a synthetic surface will be Golden Gate Fields in Northern California, which has a Tapeta Footings surface.

** Los Alamitos will open its 12-day December meeting Thursday with an eight-race program.

The first stakes of the meeting will be the $200,000 Bayakoa Stakes for fillies and mares over 1 1/16 miles next Saturday. The richest race of the meeting will be the $500,000 Los Alamitos Futurity, a Grade 1 race over 1 1/16 miles Dec. 20. The race previously was run at Hollywood Park as the CashCall Futurity.