This is from 09 but still relevant.
http://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/re ... 090423.pdf
Polytrack Op/ed
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Polytrack Op/ed
He that lives in a glass house throws no stones.
Barry Irwin has never been shy about expressing his opinions, and in this case history proves him wrong, at least with regard to his comments about General Quarters, whom he characterizes as a horse so crooked that he would be "severely compromised if he had to prove himself on dirt". (His argument being that only the only reason GQ and The Pamplemouse were successful racehorses was because of polytrack's forgiving surface.) He also predicts GQ's imminent retirement.
Instead General Quarters went on to race successfully through the age of 5, making 27 career starts. He was a graded stakes winner on dirt and also G1 placed on that surface. 1.2M later, GQ whom Irwin calls a "bad moving, bad-legged, racehorse" got the last laugh. Does that refute Irwin's basic argument? Probably not. But it certainly pokes a few holes in it.
Instead General Quarters went on to race successfully through the age of 5, making 27 career starts. He was a graded stakes winner on dirt and also G1 placed on that surface. 1.2M later, GQ whom Irwin calls a "bad moving, bad-legged, racehorse" got the last laugh. Does that refute Irwin's basic argument? Probably not. But it certainly pokes a few holes in it.