1. North American Experience with Synthetic Surfaces

2. Why Synthetic in North America?
Issues with existing dirt surfaces
Inconsistent surfaces due to moisture and temperature
Safety of horse and rider
Field size too low
Maintenance costs

3. NA Adopters of Synthetic
Turfway Park (Sept 2005)
Woodbine (Sept 2006)
Keeneland (Oct 2006)
Hollywood Park (Nov 2006)
Arlington Park (May 2007)
Del Mar (July 2007)
Presque Isle (Sept 2007)
Santa Anita (Sept 2007)
Golden Gate (Nov 2007)

4. Synthetic Experience Improvement in # of races and field size
Reduction in catastrophic injuries
Maintenance cost saving

5. Issues Unrealistic expectations Performance of wax in extreme temps
Learning curve for tracks, horsemen, players

6. Conclusions
For many North American tracks, synthetic surfaces are a better option than dirt