A motion was passed last week by the The California Horse Racing Board that will have a radical effect on horse racing in the US. All major tracks in the state of California have until the end of the year 2007 to install a synthetic surface or Polytrack. Failure to comply will lead to licenses being revoked.

This means a change from dirt tracks to an artificial surface growing more popular throughout the racing world. Polytrack is a British invention, first used on a UK track, Lingfield, in 2001. The big advantage with the artificial track is that it's weather-proof.

What does this mean to gamblers? Polytrack is a uniform surface, removing any abnormalities or inconsistencies in the track. A good understanding of various tracks and their condition in differences weathers is a valuable tool for bettors, with this edge removed one of the subtleties of picking a winner has been lost.

Read more heraldtribune.com