Midland: Breeders’ Cup, when are synthetic races coming?

As the 40th Breeders’ Cup concluded last month with a fantastic two days of racing, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief that there were no significant injuries during the weekend. The Breeders’ Cup and Santa Anita teams placed a tremendous emphasis on safety all week and called for several scratches on both days to err on the side of caution. But all the emphasis on safety begs the question: When will the Breeders’ Cup schedule permanent races for synthetic divisions? 

Looking at the most recent stats published by the Jockey Club, we can see that synthetic racing continues to provide the safest surface when it comes to racing fatalities. 

The Breeders’ Cup has been held over a synthetic surface before, in 2008 and 2009 on Santa Anita’s synthetic surface. So we know Breeders’ Cup weekend can be held with the main-track races over a synthetic surface. But as important as synthetic surfaces are becoming in our industry, why not have races specifically promoting the horses and sires who excel over synthetic tracks? 

Synthetic tracks are here to stay. Woodbine, Turfway and Presque Isle have had synthetic tracks for years. Gulfstream Park installed a Tapeta track in 2021. Keeneland has a synthetic training track, and Santa Anita is installing one currently. And Belmont Park plans to add a synthetic track when it reopens in 2026.

As the tracks have invested in these safer synthetic surfaces, they are working to fill fields and grow synthetic races. What would help tremendously is if the Breeders’ Cup added synthetic races at the $1 million and $500,000 level. How about a $1 million Breeders’ Cup Synthetic at 1 1/8 miles? A $1 million Synthetic Sprint? And $500,000 races could be added for juveniles.

Breeders’ Cup could hold a synthetic championship day at Gulfstream, Woodbine, Turfway or in the future at Belmont. They could be run in the fall or really any time of year. A new event would draw attention from owners, trainers, breeders and horseplayers. A $1 million Breeders’ Cup Synthetic race would be the richest race in North America held over a synthetic surface. (The King's Plate was worth about $740,000 this year.)

With the safety of our horses paramount in our industry, creating a Breeders’ Cup Synthetic Championship day, hosted on the safest surface our industry currently has, would send the right message to the industry and the rest of the world.