Keeneland begins track renovation

The renovation of Keeneland's main track began Monday, with work scheduled to

continue over the course of the summer to replace the Polytrack with dirt.

The Lexington, Kentucky, track has established a

special web page for fans to monitor the progress, including

FAQs, a

media

gallery and the following statement about the renovation:

"Keeneland is converting its 1 1/16-mile main track from a synthetic

Polytrack surface to a world-class dirt surface, with a drainage system that

will be the first of its kind in North America.

"In keeping with our mission, this dirt track will allow Keeneland to offer

the highest-quality racing for our fans and our horsemen. And, given the new

materials and research available to us today, it will be built to be as safe as

possible for our horses and riders. Their safety absolutely remains our top

priority.

"Owners and trainers, especially those who compete at the highest levels of

the sport, overwhelmingly prefer dirt tracks. This dirt track will be the most

extensively researched and most sophisticated in North America, and one that

will allow Keeneland to be more competitive in attracting the top horses and

Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup contenders.

"Our decision to return to a dirt surface was not undertaken lightly.

Keeneland officials, along with a team of experts who consulted with noted track

specialist Dr. Mick Peterson, executive director of the Racing Surfaces Testing

Laboratory, have been working for more than a year to conduct testing on

materials, water drainage systems and race track design."

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