Tapeta training track gets good reviews after first workouts

Through a wet weekend and into a gorgeous Monday morning, the synthetic training track at Santa Anita was used for workouts for the first time since it was installed over the winter, with a few prominent names among the active runners.

At a cost of approximately $8 million, Santa Anita replaced its infield dirt training surface with a Tapeta Footings surface. Activity was limited to joggers when the track opened for use in early March, with gallopers allowed by the middle of the month.

Saturday was the first day for full workouts.

Tapalo, a candidate for Saturday’s Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, worked five furlongs in a brisk 58.40 seconds on Sunday, the quickest of seven works at the distance. Tapalo was second to Endlessly in the El Camino Real Derby on the synthetic track at Golden Gate Fields in February in his most recent start.

“He ran well on the synthetic track, so I thought he’d work well on it,” trainer John Sadler said.

In recent years, track officials have limited or even canceled training on the infield track and main track when wet conditions were present, following California Horse Racing Board policies for inclement weather.

Before the policy was implemented in 2020, the training track was often open for activity even in wet weather.

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“It felt old school the last few days, with raining during training and we’re on the training track,” Sadler said. “It will be a good tool going forward.

“There are some that don’t prefer it or whatever. It performed well this weekend, in my opinion.”

Runners trained by Sadler and Phil D’Amato dominated Sunday’s workout list.

“I trained practically the whole barn on it,” D’Amato said.

D’Amato’s group included Gold Phoenix, who went a half-mile in 48.60 seconds in advance of Thursday’s Grade 3 American Stakes at a mile on turf.

On Monday, Stronghold, trained by D’Amato, worked a half-mile in 48 seconds for the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby. Stronghold won the Grade 3 Sunland Park Derby in New Mexico in February.

A wider list of trainers were active with workers on the training track Monday, including Peter Eurton who sent multiple stakes winner Exaulted three furlongs in 35.80 seconds.

Last year, Exaulted worked exclusively on the infield dirt track when based at Santa Anita. Eurton waited until the new synthetic training track opened to give Exaulted his first workout this year.

Exaulted, who is expected to have a summer and fall campaign, won 4 of 5 starts and earned $508,200 in 2023.

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Santa Anita has a four-day racing week beginning Thursday, a program added after the Saturday and Sunday cards were lost to wet conditions.

The Santa Anita Derby program with five stakes is the highlight of the weekend. The Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks, a $300,000 race for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles will be run Saturday.

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