Woodbine starts to redo its surface

Woodbine plans to begin the first phase of renovating its synthetic track on Tuesday. The work will involve adding a new type of wax to the Polytrack mixture, which has been plagued by problems with kickback and inconsistency under changing weather conditions.

"The track will be closed all day Tuesday, then Wednesday until lunchtime," said Irwin Driedger, Woodbine's director of racing surfaces. "As long as we can get two-thirds of it done by then, we'll be able to race Wednesday night. Then, we'll wax again Thursday.

"But, it's all weather-related. If it rains, we won't be able to do it."

Martin Collins, Polytrack founder and a partner with Keeneland in the $10 million-plus sale of the product to Woodbine, will be on hand to oversee the application of the new wax.

"It should put the track back to where it was when we installed it in September," said Driedger.

Driedger said the next phase of the Polytrack renovation, to keep it from getting too loose, particularly during colder weather, is scheduled for May 29.