The New Mexico Racing Commission held its monthly meeting at its headquarters in Albuquerque on Wednesday.

New Mexico Horse Breeders’ Association executive director Anna Fay Davis gave the commission her race-a-day reports for SunRay Park and Ruidoso Downs through June 13. During the first 32 days of the SunRay meet, the track ran 160 New Mexico-bred races – 113 for Thoroughbreds and 47 for Quarter Horses. By comparison, SunRay carded 192 state-bred races during the first 40 days of its 2009 meet, 113 for Thoroughbreds and 79 for Quarter Horses.

Through June 13, during the first 32 days of its current meet, SunRay has run an average of 5 New Mexico-bred races a day, an increase of 4 percent over the average of 4.8 state-bred races a day during the first 40 days of its ’09 season.

Ruidoso Downs’ meet, which opened May 28, has seen a total of 47 New Mexico-bred races during its first 12 days – 25 for Thoroughbreds and 22 for Quarter Horses. A total of 75 state-bred races – 47 for Thoroughbreds and 28 for Quarter Horses – were contested during the first 19 days of the track’s 2009 season.

Through June 13, during the first 12 days of its current meet, Ruidoso has run an average of 3.92 New Mexico-bred races a day, a decrease of less than one percent from the average of 3.95 state-bred races a day during the first 19 days of its ’09 season.

During the first 25 days of the SunRay meet, a total of 185 New Mexico-bred Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses ran in open overnight races, of which 58 (32 percent) finished first, second, or third. Of this total, 47 were Quarter Horses and 11 were Thoroughbreds. Bonuses totaling $37,393.20 were paid to the owners of these horses.

During the first three days of the Ruidoso Downs meet, a total of 11 New Mexico-bred Thoroughbres and Quarter Horses ran in open overnight races, of which two (19 percent) finished first, second or third. Of this total, one was a Quarter Horse and one was a Thoroughbred. Bonuses totaling $816 were paid to the owners of these horses.

In his monthly report to the commission, New Mexico Horsemen’s Association executive director Pat Bingham talked about the NMHA board meeting held on June 15.

“The horsemen are frustrated about the situation in Raton, especially those who races in the northern part of the state,” Bingham said. “We would like to see this situation resolved as soon as possible. We understand that (Horse Racing at Raton LLC) has the right for due process, but everybody concerned would like to see closure on this matter as soon as possible.”

Bingham also revisited the issue of allowing maidens older than 5 years of age to race at New Mexico tracks.

“Nobody has shown me any scientific reason why maidens should be allowed to race if they’re 6 years old or older,” he said. “Their knees are set, and their joints and legs are set.”

Commission chairperson Marty Cope responded to Bingham, saying that the commission considered the matter closed.

“I hear from trainers all the time, and you are the only person who’s in support of allowing maidens older than 5 to race,” she said. “We’re not going to consider it.”

The commission also heard testimony from the Jockeys’ Guild regarding the matter of losing jockey mount fees. Southwest region manager John Beech and attorney Mindy Coleman represented the Guild.

The issue of losing jockey mount fees came to a head at SunRay Park on April 24, when jockeys refused to ride, forcing track management to cancel its scheduled 10-race program.

Beech said that there has only been one losing-mount fee increase since 1985, and that was $5 in 2000.

“Since 1985, trainers’ day rates have gone up, and farriers have raised their rates, but mount fees have effectively been cut in half since then when you factor in the cost-of-living increase,” he added.

Beech cited examples of other tracks that have increased their mount fees, including Arlington Park near Chicago, and tracks in California and Oklahoma. He said that, in California, the losing mount fee is currently $55, but it’s scheduled to increase to $65 in 2011 and $75 in ’12. A minimum mount fee of $80 has just been established at Arlington, and starting on July 11 the minimum mount fee will increase to $75 at Remington Park and Fair Meadows at Tulsa in Oklahoma.

Also, Beech noted that the minimum mount fees at Turf Paradise and Yavapai Downs were $55 and $50, respectively.

Commission vice chairman Eddie Fowler and Beech agreed that the losing mount fees at New Mexico tracks shouldn’t be the same at Sunland Park, Zia Park, and SunRay Park, where purses are among the highest in the state, as they are at The Downs at Albuquerque and Ruidoso Downs, where purses are the lowest.

Cope encouraged the Jockeys’ Guild and NMHA to work out their differences on the issue before the commission’s next meeting on July 21, “or we will resolve it then.”

The commission also approved Ruidoso Downs’ All American Future Wager. Modeled after the Kentucky Derby Future Wager conducted by Churchill Downs, the All American Future Wager will take place from July 15-18.

Like the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, bettors will be able to choose between 24 betting interests – 23 named horses and one field entry, encompassing all other horses. The wager will be available at Ruidoso Downs and its off-track wagering sites, including Los Alamitos, and a website has been established at www.aafuturewager.com.

The All American Futurity (G1) trials will be run at Ruidoso Downs on August 19, with the $1.9-million final scheduled for Labor Day, September 6.

The next commission meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 21, at the commission headquarters at 4900 Alameda NE in Albuquerque. The public session will begin at 10:30 a.m.

For more information on commission meetings, including approved minutes, visit the commission’s website at http://nmrc.state.nm.us/index.html.