One bad step sent a shock wave through racing.

The devastating breakdown of Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro in the 2006 Preakness Stakes started a crusade. Across North America, horse owners and fans alike demanded that something be done to make racing safer.

Much like Dale Earnhardt's crash death in the 2001 Daytona 500, Barbaro's horrific injury motivated a tradition-bound sport to re-evaluate its safety measures -- right down to the dirt track itself.

California officials didn't waste time. At the urging of chairman Richard Shapiro and setting a national precedent, the California Horse Racing Board mandated that synthetic racing surfaces be installed at all major thoroughbred tracks before the end of this year.

"This is all about saving lives," Shapiro said.

Now, synthetic racing surfaces are protecting horses' and potentially jockeys' lives, but California's push for Polytracks and other brand-name surfaces has not been universally popular.

With the debut of its new Polytrack, Del Mar has gone from 19 horse deaths last season -- some trainers called it a "killing field" -- to none so far this summer. But race times are noticeably slower and front-runners appear to be at a distinct disadvantage.

That has trainers and owners grumbling. Sunday's $1 million Pacific Classic -- with an automatic berth for the Breeders' Cup world championships -- proved a case in point.

Trainer Vladimir Cerin, who also handles the Maloof brothers' small stable, and owner Ro Parra shopped in Kentucky for a horse with proven Polytrack ability. They bought Student Council, a second-tier campaigner, specifically for the Pacific Classic because he had won two of four starts on Polytracks at Kentucky's Keeneland and Turfway Park.

At 23-1, Student Council stunned defending champion Lava Man, who had won last year's Pacific Classic over dirt while leading almost gate to wire. Lava Man's time in 2006 was a so-so 2:01 3/5. Student Council prevailed in a pedestrian 2:07 1/5 -- almost six seconds slower than Lava Man's prior victory and eight seconds off the stakes record.

Cerin discounted the time and praised the Polytrack.

"I think it's the best thing we've ever done for racing," he told reporters in the winner's circle. "I've loved it for three years, ever since Keeneland put it on its training track. ... Del Mar stepped up and put it down, and I think the track is being rewarded for it. We've had far fewer injuries, fuller fields and increased attendance and handle."

Unhappy with the Polytrack, trainer John Shirreffs scratched Santa Anita Derby winner Tiago rather than run in the Pacific Classic. Coincidentally, CHRB commissioner Jerry Moss, who voted for the state mandate, owns Tiago.

Other horses in Shirreffs' barn have returned with sore muscles after racing on Polytrack on hot afternoons.

"The temperature plays havoc with the track," he told bloodhorse.com. "There is just too much we don't know about the track."

But Del Mar's new Polytrack is better than the old dirt track, say other horsemen.

"It's been the worst racetrack surface in the country for many years," major horse owner Barry Irwin, president of the Team Valor syndicate, said in a teleconference. "They had to do something. Whether it doesn't work out perfectly this year, I'm sure they'll make adjustments, and I'm all for them."

Magna Entertainment's Golden Gate Fields in Albany and Santa Anita Park in Arcadia have begun installation of their new synthetic tracks, which cost $8 million to $10 million apiece.

If Cal Expo wants more than a month of thoroughbred racing, the Sacramento facility will need to get one, too. (Harness racing prefers a harder, compacted surface for its sulkies.)

Besides protecting horses and riders, the synthetic tracks also save water because they don't need constant dampening. Del Mar officials said the track is saving 75,000 gallons a day. Golden Gate officials expect to save 10 million to 20 million gallons a year.

Another benefit: Synthetic surfaces are engineered for superior drainage. They never get muddy no matter how much rain falls. The track is always graded fast.

Horse breakdowns are costly, both financially and emotionally. From 2003 to 2005, 240 thoroughbreds died as a direct result of catastrophic injuries while racing in California, according to state officials. A conservative estimate of those horses' value tops $12 million.

In Barbaro's case, he staged a valiant, months-long fight to recover after shattering his right hind leg in last year's Preakness but ultimately had to be euthanized after suffering a serious setback.

In most breakdowns, riders also hit the ground hard, resulting in numerous and serious injuries. American jockeys suffer an average of 2,500 injuries every year, according to the Jockeys' Guild. About 150 riders in the United States have been killed in racing accidents since 1940.

Horses like the new tracks, say many trainers. With the rubberized content, the synthetic surface literally puts more bounce in their step.

"They just kind of have a new lease on life," said Dennis O'Neill, assistant and brother to Doug O'Neill, who trains 6-year-old Lava Man. "They're just a lot more energetic in the morning, and Lava Man is a prime example of that. We love it."

Although similar in composition and concept, not all synthetic tracks are Polytrack, the brand at Kentucky's Turfway Park and Keeneland.

Hollywood Park, the first California track to make the switch, installed Cushion Track, the same brand Santa Anita will use. Golden Gate chose Tapeta Footings.

Like their dirt counterparts, each synthetic surface has its own character, depending on weather and maintenance.

Jockeys are concerned that dust from the new tracks could create different kinds of health problems.

"We don't want another asbestos," said Jockeys' Guild representative Barry Broad.

Del Mar's Polytrack is a mix of wax-coated sand, recycled rubber and carpet fiber. Instead of dark brown loam, it looks much like a pale gray shag rug. In the afternoon sun, the wax heats up, creating some unexpected wrinkles.

"(Del Mar's Polytrack) is a different animal than the Cushion Track," said O'Neill. "It's deeper and heavier. ... The Cushion Track is more like the dirt track, and this track is really affected by the weather, which is kind of strange. When the sun hits that Polytrack, it really seems to slow down."

With the heat, the track becomes looser, resulting in slower race times and sore back muscles for horses. That has angered and frustrated some horse owners and trainers.

Average times at Del Mar this season have been two seconds slower for sprints than last year; three seconds slower for races of a mile or more.

Speed has always been part of thoroughbred racing's lure. But trainers are willing to run slower races if their horses come back healthy.

"The bottom line is soundness," Dennis O'Neill said. "When you're going to spend the money you spend to buy these horses, you want to keep them sound and that's what we're finding in all of the tracks is they are definitely staying sound."