why do so many horses warm up on the grass at Scioto Downs?

[arniesarmy]

You see that every now and then at other tracks but every race at Scioto there is at least one horse in the infield grass.

[rainman2]

You see that every now and then at other tracks but every race at Scioto there is at least one horse in the infield grass.

Scioto has always been a very [hard] fast track!

Easier on the feet??

[arniesarmy]

Widger seems to do it a lot. Of course, he ran a 1-9 shot out of the money, so there's that.

[Kole Hanover]

 Alot of horses love going on the grass prior to racing, it seems to help their feet & if they enjoy it & race well after- I'd do it every time.

[Checked Up]

The infield is also the closest to a level surface inside the ropes! I feel that the soft level surface is a good way to alleviate the skeletol stress caused by going slow on the banking variations.

[JT]

The infield used to have ponds in it if memory serves

[Kole Hanover]

The infield used to have ponds in it if memory serves

 There's been some bad accidents involving ponds in the center field.

 Horses can swim well but when weighed down with bike/equip- it can be devastating.

[SDST2009]

It's also advantageous for a horse that gets worked up before the race. Calms them, probably just being off the actual track.