Hollywood Park to install synthetic racing surface

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Hollywood Park will replace its dirt main track with a synthetic surface in July, making it the first California track to do so.

The state's other major thoroughbred tracks -- Santa Anita, Del Mar, Los Alamitos, Bay Meadows and Golden Gate -- face a Dec. 31, 2007, deadline by the California Horse Racing Board to install synthetic surfaces.

The project at Hollywood Park, with an estimated cost of $8 million, will begin after the current spring-summer meeting ends July 16.

Twelve inches of material will be removed from the existing track. A new drainage system with more than 4 1/2 miles of pipe will be installed. Then, a porous base will be added over the drainage system, topped by nine inches of a waxed synthetic surface made from a combination of synthetic fibers, elastic fiber and granulated rubber coated with a blend of wax.

The new surface will be in place when the autumn meet begins Nov. 1.

Turfway Park in Florence, Ky., already has installed a synthetic track. Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., has a synthetic surface on its practice course and is installing one on its main track.

Nearly a year ago, Hollywood Park was sold to Bay Meadows Land Co. LLC, which has committed to operating the track at least until 2008. The company also owns Bay Meadows, in San Mateo.

"This investment in a new racing surface is consistent with our intention that Hollywood Park be operated on the basis that live racing will continue there indefinitely," said Terry Fancher, president of BMLC. "The investment is a continuation of our efforts to improve the state of California racing."