Opening day at Arlington Park is a tradition for Flo Manasin, 91, who said she’s been coming to the track since she was a little girl.
“I just love the horses. It’s fun to bet, but they are just the most wonderful athletes in the world — with the jockeys second,” Manasin said, watching horses scheduled to compete in the first race being led around a small track north of the main grandstand.
Manasin was one of thousands to see the results of another revamp at the park. Although the track is well known for rebuilding following a 1985 fire, this year racing aficionados from around the country are waiting to see how a new $11 million Polytrack surface works out.
The artificial surface was installed after 22 injured horses were euthanized at Arlington last year. The Illinois Racing Board determined that the dirt track was not primarily to blame for the breakdowns, but track officials hope to see the same decline in injuries as other U.S. tracks with artificial surfaces.
If reaction Friday is any gauge, fans, jockeys and horses are taking well to the new surface. The first race went off without a hitch, with Eusebio Razo Jr. riding the winner, Do the Wave.
“I’ve found the horses to like it,” said James Graham, a jockey who rode the last two seasons at a Kentucky track with the artificial surface. “Horses don’t get jammed up on it. … When they hit the ground, they don’t bounce, you don’t bang. They just float.”
Javier Barajas, who is in charge of maintaining the track, has been pleased with how well water drains through the layers.
“It’s working really well,” he said. For the horses, “It’s like going to the playground.”
lford@tribune.com
