Gulfstream to begin installation of Tapeta track ahead of schedule
Gulfstream Park notified horsemen in the overnight for Sunday's program that construction of a new Tapeta surface on the outer portion of the turf course will begin on June 7, two weeks earlier than originally proposed. During the three-month construction period, racing at Gulfstream will be reduced to three days a week.
The addition of a Tapeta track will provide Gulfstream Park with the option to conduct races over three different surfaces: dirt, turf or synthetic. The Tapeta should also help alleviate wear and tear on the turf course, track officials said in early March when the project was announced.The Tapeta track is to cover the outer 60 feet of the current turf course. It is hoped when weather does not permit racing on grass, moving it to the Tapeta surface - which many believe plays similar to turf - will help reduce the number scratches as compared to if it was moved to the dirt track.
Gulfstream Park will be joining a handful of racetracks in North America with a synthetic surface. Others include Arlington Park, Golden Gate Fields, Presque Isle Downs, Turfway Park and Woodbine Race Course in Canada. Studies have found synthetic surfaces to have lower rates of equine fatalities than traditional dirt tracks.