Exciting Times in Horse Racing

If you haven't been paying attention, a lot is going on in the horse racing world.

The New York Task Force on retired horses will meet again on August 17th in Saratoga Springs to discuss safety in horse racing, including the prospect of installing synthetic racing surfaces.

Who knows if any changes will be made, but at least a dialogue has been started. Although, it would seem a waste to have created this task force and hold these meetings if no changes were made at all.

Whether the opponents of polytrack say it or not, many of them seem more concerned with how artificial racing surfaces will affect their financial interests than how they can mitigate risks to thoroughbreds and jockeys.

In other news, trainer Carl Nafzger and jockey Edgar Prado were inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame today. Prado is an exceptional jockey on dirt and turf and the one who did everything in his power to pull up Barbaro in the Preakness Stakes in 2006. I wonder how he feels about synthetic racing surfaces.

Big Brown returned for the first time since the Belmont Stakes yesterday, winning the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park. Unfortunately, despite the win, sports writers across the country are basically calling it a weak effort against a weak field of competition.

With the way Big Brown ran yesterday, I'm skeptical about how he will fare in the Breeders' Cup against much stiffer competition. He doesn't seem to have the same explosiveness he showed a few months ago, but maybe he's just getting back into the groove.

Meanwhile, 2007 Horse of the Year, Curlin, has continued training, but no one knows for which surface he'll be running on. He recently finished 2nd in his first graded turf race and an announcement is expected tomorrow as to which race he'll be pointing to.

And after California banned the use of steroids in horses, this year's Breeders' Cup races should be 'roid free for what I'm guessing is the first time in forever.

Like I said, exciting times in horse racing.