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

The meeting was originally scheduled to be held in Farmington but was moved to Albuquerque due to NMRC budget constraints. NMRC deputy director India Hatch said that all commission meetings scheduled for the next six months will be held in Albuquerque.

New Mexico Horse Breeders’ Association executive director Anna Fay Davis gave the commission her race-a-day reports for the Sunland Park 2009-10 meet, which ended April 20. For the 77-day meet, the track ran 426 New Mexico-bred races – 287 for Thoroughbreds and 139 for Quarter Horses – which was up 6.2 percent from the 401 state-bred races the track ran during its 2008-09 meet.

During the 2009-10 Sunland meet, a total of 422 New Mexico-bred Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses ran in open overnight races, of which 103 (25 percent) finished first, second, or third. Of this total, 93 were Quarter Horses and 10 were Thoroughbreds. Bonuses totaling $106,914.40 were paid to the owners of these horses.

During the first 16 days of the SunRay Park meet, which opened April 22, the track ran 70 New Mexico-bred races – 49 for Thoroughbreds and 21 for Quarter Horses – which was a decrease of 21 percent from the 89 state-bred races the track ran during the same period in ’09.

A total of 61 New Mexico-breds have run in open overnight races during the first eight days of the SunRay meet, of which 11 (18 percent) finished first, second, or third. Bonuses totaling $12,424 have been paid to the owners of these horses.

Commission vice chairman Thomas “Eddie” Fowler reported on the medication subcommittee meeting held on Tuesday, May 18. During The Downs at Albuquerque meet, which opens August 14, horses will not be allowed on the grounds without a negative test for equine piroplasmosis.

Regarding the proposed necropsy rule, which would require all racehorses that die at a New Mexico track to have a necropsy performed, Fowler said he’s hopeful that the rule will be completed and ready to be sent to the commission rules committee within the next two months.

New Mexico Horsemen’s Association executive director Pat Bingham reported on the pre-meet walk-through conducted at Ruidoso Downs, which opens its 60-day season on May 28.

“Everything was in order,” Bingham said. “The only issue we had is with water on the racetrack. They’ve had horrific winds this spring, and it’s been difficult for the maintenance crew to put enough water on the track. But we’re confident management will take care of that issue.

“We’re also confident that this will be a good meet,” he added. “Ruidoso Downs is a beautiful setting and a great place to race.”

Fowler also attended the Ruidoso walk-through.

“They trimmed the trees in the infield, so now you can sit in the grandstands and see the starts of the 870-yard and 5 ½-furlong races,” he said.

Bingham also lobbied on behalf of allowing maidens older than 5 to race at New Mexico tracks.

“There are a lot of older maidens in New Mexico, and they need an opportunity to race,” Bingham said. “In the past, a lot of the New Mexico-based older maidens have had to ship to the Arizona fair circuit to race, and it’s my understanding that circuit is on shaky (financial) ground and will likely come to an end in a short period of time.

“I’d like to see the age limit restriction lifted,” he added. “It should be up to the owner and trainer of a horse to determine whether or not that horse is able to run. If it’s handled correctly, I think a horse should be able to race for as long as it’s able.”

Horse owner and NMHBA trustee Tom Pierce of Albuquerque also supported lifting the age restriction.

“I don’t currently have any older maidens, but I know a lot of people who do,” Pierce said. “I think we should have at least one meet here in New Mexico where older maidens can race. If we have an owner who is willing to keep their 6, 7, or 8-year-old maiden in training, we shouldn’t have to force these owners to ship elsewhere to race.”

However, citing safety concerns, commission chairwoman Marty Cope spoke out against lifting the restriction, as did Don Cook, general manager of The Downs at Albuquerque.

“In my opinion, a 6-year-old maiden is two years past its prime,” Cook said. “But if he breaks its maiden somewhere else, we’d be happy to let him race at our track.”

The commission also approved the 2010-11 dates for the 77-day meet at Sunland Park. The track will run on a Tuesday and Friday-through Sunday schedule, with two exceptions in December due to the holiday season.

Sunland general manager Harold Payne said that the track’s purse schedule would be the same as the one the track had at the end of its 2009-10 meet. The wagering format will be the same, except that the minimum cost of a Pick-3 wager will drop from $1 to 50 cents.

Also, Payne reported that jockeys will be required to use the so-called “soft” whips during two designated races every day.

“If a jockey doesn’t have a soft whip, we will provide them with one,” he added.

Ruidoso Downs general manager Ann McGovern asked the commission for approval of an All American Futurity future wager, which will be modeled after the Kentucky Derby future wager conducted by Churchill Downs.

“We feel it would add to public awareness of not just the All American, but to the 2-year-old races leading up to the trials,” McGovern said.

McGovern said that she’d like to have the takeout rate on the All American future wager set at 15 percent, but assistant attorney general Tania Maestas said that such a takeout rate would be in violation of the state statute, which sets takeout rates on win, place and show wagers at New Mexico tracks at 19 percent.

Maestas also said that there is currently no racing commission rule regarding future wagers, and that a rule would have to be set before the commission could approve such a wager on the All American Futurity. The issue will be revisited at the next commission meeting in June.

Also, the commission handed down one-day suspensions and $400 fines to the jockeys who were involved in the cancellation of SunRay Park’s 10-race card on April 24. Citing several issues, including dissatisfaction with the mount fees in effect at SunRay, a group of 32 riders refused to ride, causing the track to cancel its races on that date and reschedule that card for the following Friday, April 30.

Jockey Jimmy Ray Coates was handed a 15-day suspension and a $1,500 fine. The suspensions will be served after June 1.

There also was an item on the agenda regarding the future of La Mesa Racetrack in Raton. However, general manager Rick Henson asked the commission to table the item until a later date, and the commission agreed to his request.

The next commission meeting will be held on Thursday, June 16, 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.