Southern California notes: Trainers praise Del Mar surface switch

ARCADIA, Calif. – The decision by Del Mar officials to replace its existing synthetic track with a dirt track for the 2015 summer season was met with widespread acceptance from trainers.

Del Mar president Joe Harper said last Tuesday that the track plans to replace its surface after the autumn meeting ends this November. Del Mar has had a Polytrack synthetic surface since 2007, and is the only Southern California track with such a surface. Barretts Sales and Racing at the Los Angeles County Fair, Los Alamitos, and Santa Anita have dirt tracks. Hollywood Park, which closed in December, had a Cushion Track synthetic track.

For some, Del Mar’s decision did not come soon enough.

Art Sherman was based at Hollywood Park in recent years. He said this summer he plans to be based at Los Alamitos and ship into Del Mar, a plan he used in 2013 when based at Hollywood Park.

“I’ve had some bad injuries there,” Sherman said of Del Mar. “I didn’t go there last year. I’d rather ship in. I did that last year and it worked.

“Training on that track, I don’t know what it was, but I had sore horses. I’m all for a dirt track.”

Walther Solis, whose stable is highly active with 2-year-olds in the spring and summer, also welcomed the change.

“I wasn’t too happy with the change to synthetic,” he said. “We quit seeing some injuries and saw other injuries.”

Solis said hard-tissue injuries became less frequent on synthetic tracks, but that soft-tissue injuries became more frequent.

Trainer Barry Abrams said it is vital for all tracks in Southern California to have the same type of racetrack.

“I think it’s time to do it,” Abrams said. “It’s so hard to train [on dirt] and go to a synthetic track for seven weeks, and vice versa. It’s better for the horses that all the tracks are similar tracks.”

The move to a dirt track could help Del Mar attract the Breeders’ Cup, which track officials have stated as a goal. A dirt track could make Del Mar racing more attractive for bettors who are comfortable with wagering on such surfaces.

“I know they are trying to get the Breeders’ Cup,” trainer Mike Machowsky said. “I had no trouble with the synthetic track. I know some gamblers had trouble with it.”

For Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, Del Mar’s decision could end the lengthy debates about the merits of synthetic and dirt tracks. But, he said, complaints about racing surfaces will continue regardless of what surface is in place.

“You know what I’m for – whatever will shut everyone up,” Mandella said. “Whatever will make people happy. They’ll bitch about that one, too. If horses have problems, they’ll have problems.”

Shared Belief continues recovery

Shared Belief, the champion 2-year-old male of 2013, was scheduled to be sent to Golden Gate Fields on Friday to continue training, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said.

Shared Belief has not raced since winning the $751,500 CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park on Dec. 14. The gelding missed training for most of January and early February after grabbing a quarter in training. Hollendorfer said on Friday that he would prefer to train Shared Belief on the Tapeta Footings synthetic surface at Golden Gate Fields rather than the dirt track at Santa Anita.

“I think it’s been a little too hard,” he said of the Santa Anita surface. “I’ll take him up there and see if we can get him going there. I don’t want to do it. For the most part, we’re happy with the track here.”

Shared Belief is unbeaten in three starts, including a maiden race at Golden Gate Fields in October. Hollendorfer said on Friday that he wants to see Shared Belief work a few times before he decides where to run him next.

“I’ll have to see how he breezes and go from there,” he said.

San Onofre to Potrero Grande

San Onofre will be pointed for the $200,000 Potrero Grande Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs on April 12 after winning his fourth consecutive start Thursday in an optional claimer.

Trained by Karen Headley for her mother, Aase, San Onofre has won 4 of 5 starts and earned $165,040. Thursday, San Onofre led throughout a race over 6 1/2 furlongs, winning by 1 1/4 lengths over Explain. Ridden by Mike Smith, San Onofre was timed in 1:14.56.

“He’s running in stakes time,” Headley said. “He can take the lead and come from behind. I think he can do whatever you want.”

◗ The training preview for the Barretts March selected sale of 2-year-olds in training has been tentatively pushed forward a day, to Thursday, Feb. 27, because of expected wet weather next weekend, according to Kim Lloyd, Barretts general manager.

The one-day sale will be held on Monday, March 3.