Friday, September 24, 2010
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 Ruidoso Downs meet, which ended on September 6, and the first 21 days of the current Downs at Albuquerque meet.
During its 60-day season, Ruidoso Downs ran 239 New Mexico-bred races – 149 for Thoroughbreds and 90 for Quarter Horses. By comparison, Ruidoso carded 242 state-bred races during its 63-day meet in 2009, 147 for Thoroughbreds and 95 for Quarter Horses.
However, Ruidoso ran an average of 3.99 New Mexico-bred races per day, which was an increase of 3.6 percent over the average of 3.85 state-bred races per day during its ’09 meet.
Also at Ruidoso, a total of 493 New Mexico-bred Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses ran in open overnight races, of which 147 (30 percent) finished first, second, or third. Of this total, 80 were Quarter Horses and 67 were Thoroughbreds. Bonuses totaling $61,313 were paid to the owners of these horses.
By comparison, bonuses totaling $53,143 were paid to the owners of New Mexico-breds racing in open overnight races during last year’s Ruidoso meet.
During the first 21 days of The Downs at Albuquerque meet, which opened August 14, the track has run 96 New Mexico-bred races – 54 for Thoroughbreds and 42 for Quarter Horses, an increase of 14 percent over the 84 state-bred races the track ran during the first 21 days of its 2009 season.
A total of 193 New Mexico-bred Thoroughbreds have run in open races during the first 15 days of the Albuquerque meet, of which 28 (21 percent) finished first, second, or third. Of this total, 20 were Quarter Horses and eight were Thoroughbreds. Bonuses totaling $12,146.60 were paid to the owners of these horses.
Davis also announced to the commission that the NMHBA will host a Youth Day at the Races, in conjunction with the New Mexico Quarter Horse Association, on Saturday, October 9, at The Downs at Albuquerque. She said she is expecting 15-20 participants, who will tour the barn area, observe morning workouts, and tour the racing office and test barn.
The activity will also include lunch in the Jockey Club and a visit to the jockeys’ quarters and paddock to observe the duties of the clerk of scales, paddock judge, and horse identifier.
Also, commission chairman Marty Cope announced that India Hatch replaced Julian Luna as the organization’s executive director, effective September 4. Luna is currently running to represent District 8 in the New Mexico House of Representatives. In June, he defeated incumbent Elias Barela for the Democratic nomination, and he will face Republican Alonzo Baldonado in the November general election.
Jean Stoddard and Shaun Hubbard were introduced to the commission as the new general manager and assistant general manager, respectively, at Ruidoso Downs Racetrack and Billy The Kid Casino. Stoddard replaces Ann McGovern, who resigned after serving in the position for the past two seasons. Hubbard is the grandson of track majority owner R.D. Hubbard.
In other news, New Mexico Horsemen’s Association president Pat Bingham and Jockeys’ Guild southwest regional manager John Beech announced that they have been unable to reach an agreement on jockey losing mount fees at the state’s five racetracks.
“We haven’t been able to resolve this issue, and we would like the commission to intervene,” said Beech, who noted that the last increase the state’s jockeys have received was $5 in 2000.
“These two organizations seem as far apart as ever on their negotiations,” said commission Larry Delgado. “I’d like to propose that the Guild and horsemen continue to try to work something out.”
Cope said that if the two organizations haven’t reached an agreement by the commission’s October meeting, the commission will take action to resolve the issue at its November meeting, the last scheduled meeting of the 2010 calendar year.
Bingham also told the commission that he is often asked by horsemen why there are no surveillance cameras in the state’s test barns.
“The reason I mention this is that we often talk about contaminants in samples taken from racehorses,” he said. “I think there should be cameras in the areas where urine and blood samples are collected, and this would take care of concerns some people might have about laxity in this area.”
Commissioner Eddie Fowler suggested that Bingham request the issue by placed on the next meeting agenda of the commission’s medication task force. Fowler also stressed the expense of such a project.
“Monitoring systems aren’t cheap,” he said. “The tracks already know this because of what they have to operate in their casinos.”
Also, the commission voted to uphold a stewards’ decision and reinstate Sixy Chamisa as the winner of last year’s $335.885 New Mexico Cup Quarter Horse Futurity (G1) at Zia Park.
The next monthly commission meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 28, 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 and updated agendas, visit the commission’s website at http://nmrc.state.nm.us/index.html.