Months after installing an $11-million synthetic racing surface, officials at Arlington Park racecourse in Arlington, Ill., said fewer horses are having fatal breakdowns and attendance is up.

That’s good news for the northwest suburban racetrack, which faced a public relations nightmare last season when 22 Thoroughbreds were euthanized because of leg injuries.

Since the 2007 season began in early May, only 11 fatal breakdowns have been recorded on the new track, which is made of wax-coated sand, synthetic fibers, and recycled rubber. The season ends Sept. 16.

“It’s been welcomed with open arms,” Joe Kristufek, Arlington Park’s oddsmaker, said of the new surface. “There’s a new energy here