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

New Mexico Horse Breeders’ Association executive director Anna Fay Davis gave the commission her race-a-day reports for The Downs at Albuquerque through November 8. During the first 56 days of the meet, which ended November 14, the track ran 220 New Mexico-bred races – 130 for Thoroughbreds and 90 for Quarter Horses. By comparison, The Downs at Albuquerque also carded 220 state-bred races during its 59-day meet in 2009, 112 for Thoroughbreds and 108 for Quarter Horses.

However, The Downs at Albuquerque has run an average of 3.93 New Mexico-bred races during its first 56 days, which is an increase of 5.3 percent over the average of 3.73 state-bred races during the track’s ’09 season.

Also during the first 56 days of the Albuquerque meet, a total of 517 New Mexico-bred Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses ran in open overnight races, of which 143 (28 percent) finished first, second, or third. Of this total, 93 were Quarter Horses and 50 were Thoroughbreds. Bonuses totaling $61,271.20 were paid to the owners of these horses.

Davis also presented to the commission her race-a-day reports for Zia Park in Hobbs through November 9. During the first 36 days of the 53-day meet, which runs through December 7, the track ran 181 New Mexico-bred races – 119 for Thoroughbreds and 62 for Quarter Horses. By comparison, Zia Park carded 207 state-bred races during the first 40 days of its 2009 meet, 136 for Thoroughbreds and 71 for Quarter Horses.

Zia Park’s 2010 average of 5.03 New Mexico-bred races per day marks a 3-percent decrease from the 5.18 average during the first 40 days of the ’09 meet.

During the first 28 days of Zia Park’s current meet, a total of 137 New Mexico-bred Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses ran in open overnight races, of which 42 (31 percent) finished first, second, or third. Of this total, 36 were Quarter Horses and six were Thoroughbreds. Bonuses totaling $43,873.30 were paid to the owners of these horses.

Also, Davis told the commission that the NMHBA is planning this week mail awards distribution checks totaling $4.2 million to breeders and owners.

Commissioner Larry Delgado, the chairman of the commission’s track safety committee, reported on a safety meeting held at The Downs at Albuquerque on November 8.

“The horsemen we talked to were pleased with the condition of the track,” Delgado said. “The overall consensus was that the Albuquerque meet went very well. Everyone seemed happy. We talked about the track condition and track safety, and everyone seemed very pleased about it.”

Pat Bingham, the executive director of the New Mexico Horsemen’s Association, agreed with Delgado’s assessment of the meet.

“We had some issues with a few things before the meet started, but once it did start everything went well,” he said. “It was an excellent meet, and the races filled very nicely, even at the end of the meet, where you’d think the track might lose some horses. Everyone of the last six days of the meet had an extra race that filled.”

The Downs at Albuquerque general manager Don Cook announced that, starting November 22, the track will offer stall rentals for off-season training. The rental fee will be $4 per day, which Cook said was a break-even fee.

“We won’t be making any profits off of this,” he added.

Also, the commission voted by a 3-2 count to set losing mount fees for New Mexico jockeys, effective with the beginning of the Sunland Park meet on December 10. The NMHA and Jockeys’ Guild were unable to reach an agreement on the issue following several months of negotiations.

Winning jockey mount fees for all races will remain 10 percent of the winner’s share of the purse. Second-place jockeys will receive $73 for purses up to $4,999, $83 for purses from $5,000-$9,999, and 5 percent of the second-place share of the purse in races worth $10,000 and more.

Jockeys whose mounts finish third will receive $63 for purses up to $4,999, $68 for purses from $5,000-$9,999, $78 for purses from $10,000-$14,999, $88 for purses from $15,000-$24,999, and 5 percent of the third-place share of the purse in races worth $25,000 and more.

Jockeys whose mounts finish fourth will receive $60 for purses up to $4,999, $65 for purses from $5,000-$9,999, $70 for purses from $10,000-$14,999, $75 for purses from $15,000-$24,999, $80 for purses from $25,000-$49,999, $85 for purses from $50,000-$99,999, and 5 percent of the fourth-place share of the purse in races worth $100,000 and more.

Jockeys whose mounts finish fifth or worse will receive mount fees ranging from $58-$113, depending on the purse.

Prior to the vote, Bingham questioned the authority of the commission to set jockey mount fees. He said that the fees should be set by an agreement between the NMHA, which represents New Mexico’s horsemen, and the Jockeys’ Guild.

“I agree – the horsemen and jockeys should agree to set the fees, but after months of negotiations you haven’t been able to agree, and this is putting the future of the state’s race meets in doubt,” said Tania Maestas, assistant attorney general representing the commission. “It is my position that the commission does have the authority to impose mount fees if the parties involved can’t come to an agreement.”

During his monthly report to the commission, Bingham said that the NMHA would not allow Zia Park to export its simulcast signal due to the condition of the track surface.

Rick Baugh, the track’s assistant general manager, said that neither he nor his staff has heard many complaints about the surface from jockeys and horsemen.

“If they are complaining, they’re not complaining to the people who need to know,” he added. “We’re continuing to study the issue and try different things. Nobody wants a safer racing surface more than we do. If we just add materials to the track, what if they’re the wrong materials to add? That’s the reason we need to deal this issue one step at a time.

Commission executive director India Hatch then asked Bingham what he would suggest Zia Park management do about the situation.

“The approach I would take would be to do what Penn National Gaming (Zia Park’s owner) did at Penn National,” Bingham replied, referring to PNGI’s flagship track in central Pennsylvania. “They brought in the trackman who handles the New York tracks, and they closed the track for six weeks and took the surface down to the base. They put in new material and opened back up against with a whole new track.”

In other business, the commission voted to approve next year’s schedule of meetings from January-June, adding a meeting for December 14 of this year; Sunland Park director of racing Dustin Dix reported that his track has hired Tony Martinez Sr. to be its track-surface consultant and Tony Martinez Jr. to be the track superintendent, and Dix added the Sunland Park has added a new safety rail, has bought a new water truck, and is getting new John Deere tractors; and SunRay Park director of racing Lonnie Barber said that his track is expanding its jockeys’ quarters and is in the process of replacing its infield tote and message boards.

Finally, regarding the issue of the La Mesa Racetrack and Casino in Raton, the commission unanimously rejected a proposal that racino representatives said would have resumed the construction of the planned $50-million project.

Prior to the vote, Albuquerque attorney Sam Bregman, representing La Mesa president Michael Moldenhauer, told the commission that Moldenhauer would, within 60 days, pay the commission a $20,000 penalty for failing to get the facility built in time for a 2010 meet, deposit $10 million into a trust to continue construction of the racino, and pay off liens totaling $1.2 million placed against the property.

Moldenhauer was tending to some medical issues in Canada and was unable to attend the meeting.

Commission chairperson Marty Cope told Bregman that she’d hoped Moldenhauer’s proposal would have had more substance.

“It’s still the same thing,” she said. “It’s 60 days out. It’s the same thing we’ve heard from day one.

“We want racing in Raton,” Cope added. “But we want someone who can bring racing to Raton.”

Both the racing commission and the New Mexico Gaming Control Board have expressed concerns about Moldenhauer’s failure to deliver on promises to get the racino built. To operate in the state, a racino must have a gaming license and racing license.

In February 2009, the racing commission granted La Mesa a license to conduct a 60-day summer meet for 2010, but the facility wasn’t ready in time. Earlier this year, the gaming board revoked La Mesa’s gaming license.

The next monthly commission meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 14, 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.