Ruidoso Downs

June was the warmest month on record-the twelfth consecutive month of record global temperatures. Climate change is hitting all walks of life. Horse racing, too. Last year, unusually hot temperatures coupled with unusually little rain fueled huge wildfires in Canada, impacting air quality and causing the cancellation of racing and training in both Canada and New York. Just last month, New Mexico's Ruidoso Downs narrowly avoided a wildfire that tore through the area. The track hasn't been so lucky in the aftermath, thanks to frequent flash flooding leading to the...

Emilio Tapia, a Quarter Horse jockey at Ruidoso Downs, has been fined $500 by that track's stewards for punching his mount after the 2-year-old filly finished fifth in a maiden race. A stewards' ruling dated July 21 stated that Tapia was "acting in an unprofessional manner when returning to the unsaddling area with his mount Famous Long Eagle following the second race on July 14," and that his breach of conduct further included "striking horse in the belly with his fist in front of grandstand." The chart caller's notes for...

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...

The day started off normally enough. Retired jockey Casey Chavez, a resident of Ruidoso, New Mexico who brought his tack and his life to the area five years ago, made the commute into work Tuesday morning as usual. Having ridden the last mount of his three-decade long career at nearby Ruidoso Downs nearly a year ago to the date (June 23, 2023), Chavez now works with a local physical therapy office. "I went there like you do any other day and a little before lunch time, we heard about something...

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...

It was back in the late seventies and early eighties, well before Steve Asmussen had his trainer's license, that the foundation was being set for what was to become a historic career. He was studying under his parents, Keith and Marilyn Asmussen, the multi-talented Texas-based team that did a little bit of everything, including breaking dozens of babies that would go on to stardom on the racetrack. Their youngest son, just a teenager then, saw what it took to be successful, the can't-miss combination of hard work, skill, devotion to...