New Mexico Racing Commission

Quarter Horse racing at Ruidoso Downs is expected to continue July 4 in the wake of wildfires and subsequent flooding from heavy rains that wiped out a portion of the track. Ruidoso's home straight and frontside chutes, and a portion of the gallop-out on the clubhouse turn, are expected to be restored to racing condition in time for the holiday weekend. But more extensive damage involving flood contamination down to the base in the area around the six-furlong chute has put Thoroughbred races on hold for the time being. At...

A mandatory evacuation in the area surrounding New Mexico's Ruidoso Downs was issued Tuesday after the South Fork Fire was reported by government officials at nearly 14,000 acres with zero percent containment. Officials were alerted Monday morning to the fire, which is burning on Mescalero Tribal land, U.S. Forest Service land, and in the areas surrounding Ruidoso. Ruidoso Downs is located within the Village of Ruidoso. "The racetrack right now is in great shape," said New Mexico-based trainer Todd Fincher, who has 70 head on the premises. "Huge fire destroying...

Ron Walker has been named The Jockey Club steward for Finger Lakes Racetrack and will take the place of Samantha Randazzo, who was appointed as The Jockey Club steward for The New York Racing Association tracks. Walker has been involved with horse racing since 1981 and has been an owner, breeder, trainer, and racing official. Prior to becoming steward at Finger Lakes, he was the state steward for the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission, spent nine years as the presiding steward for the New Mexico Racing Commission and also worked as...

Edited Press Release The New Mexico Horsemen's Association filed suit against the New Mexico Racing Commission in federal court late Monday, charging the regulatory body with depriving racehorse owners and trainers of their civil rights and other violations. The horsemen seek compensatory damages, legal fees and other relief the court deems appropriate. "The horsemen finally said, 'Hold it. How many constitutional laws can you continue to violate? How many statutes can you continue to ignore?'" said Gary Mitchell, attorney for the New Mexico Horsemen's Association (NMHA). "The horsemen said, 'Enough....

Edited Press Release The New Mexico Horsemen's Association has taken additional legal action against the New Mexico Racing Commission after the regulatory body ordered the defunding of the organization that represents about 4,000 Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse owners and trainers in the state. On May 20, the racing commission ordered tracks to withhold the 1% of purse money that goes to the horsemen's association for administrative costs, about $400,000 a year. Additionally, the commission ordered a halt to the $5 per-starter fee NMHA member owners pay toward medical expenses for...

With the Feb. 25 announcement that restrictions regarding gaming in the state of New Mexico would be loosened, the New Mexico Racing Commission announced Monday that its season is slated to start Apr. 23 at SunRay Park in Farmington, NM. "We are very excited to get live horse racing going again in the state of New Mexico," said newly-named Chairman of the New Mexico Racing Commission, Sam Bregman. "We look forward to getting the industry back on track." The New Mexico Racing Commission intends to make decisions regarding the SunRay...

The shock announcement of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York's indictments against a slew of Thoroughbred veterinarians and trainers—and to a much lesser extent the California Horse Racing Board's (CHRB) long-awaited report into the equine fatalities at Santa Anita early last year—cast a kaleidoscopic shadow of speculation and questions marks over the industry. But one of the most salient takeaways from these two developments is surely this: What kind of investigative infrastructure is in place within the sport to catch the cheats and protect the...

After serving a five-year suspension and paying a $100,000 fine for using an illegal electrical shocking device on a Thoroughbred at Sam Houston Race Park in 2015, jockey Roman Chapa on Thursday got his riding license reinstated by the Texas Racing Commission (TRC), a spokesperson there confirmed. On Friday morning, the 48-year-old jockey crossed the state border into New Mexico to meet with Sunland Park stewards to discuss whether they would allow him to ride there. Izzy Trejo, the executive director of the New Mexico State Racing Commission, told TDN...