Horsemen File Suit Against New Mexico Racing Commission

Edited Press Release

The New Mexico Horsemen's Association has taken additional legal action against the New Mexico Racing Commission after the regulatory body ordered the defunding of the organization that represents about 4,000 Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse owners and trainers in the state.

On May 20, the racing commission ordered tracks to withhold the 1% of purse money that goes to the horsemen's association for administrative costs, about $400,000 a year. Additionally, the commission ordered a halt to the $5 per-starter fee NMHA member owners pay toward medical expenses for horsemen and their employees, as well as a $2 per-starter fee utilized for legislative advocacy.

The horsemen's association responded three days later with its second suit in less than six months filed against the commission in the Second Judicial District Court in Bernalillo County. On Dec. 2, the NMHA went to court to ensure that the state's laws governing the distribution of purse monies are followed.

Horse owners have been charged a $100-$150 starter fee to cover certain track operation costs, including staffing the starting gate. The amount of money siphoned from purses to the racetracks dating to 2004 totals more than $8.4 million, which the horsemen's association is asking to be refunded to the purse account.

“I think we've been very reasonable in trying to negotiate settlements of litigation, and the commission has refused to negotiate in good faith” said Gary Mitchell, the attorney representing the horsemen's association. “It's a matter of people communicating, getting together, but the arrogance of the commissioners stands in the way.”

“This is a small state where we all know one another, as lawyers, as horsemen and as track owners,” Mitchell said. “There's no reason why somebody leading this couldn't get everybody together and say, 'We can iron out these problems.' We do need to figure out some way to insure jockey and exercise riders, outriders and people who work on the tracks, including grooms and such so these people will be safe and have insurance to cover their injuries and work loss. But we have no idea what the tracks are doing. We have no idea what the policies read. We just know that it's cost us a small fortune in purses, over $8 million.”

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Three Lucrative Carryovers To Chase Saturday At Churchill Downs

Bettors have three lucrative carryovers to chase Saturday at Churchill Downs on the 11-race Stephen Foster Preview Day program: $150,655 in the 20-cent Derby City 6; $73,634 in the 50-cent Late Pick 5; and $5,377 in the $1 Super Hi 5.

There is a mandatory payout in Saturday's 20-cent Derby City 6 and the jackpot was $150,655 at the conclusion of Friday's action. All monies will be distributed Saturday to ticket holders with the most winners in the six-race series. Track officials estimate the force-out of Saturday's total Derby City 6 pool could challenge $750,000 with new money.

Takeout on the Derby City 6, which will cover Races 6-11 starting at 3:18 p.m. (all times Eastern) and only costs 20 cents per combination, is just 15 percent – one of the lowest multi-race wager takeout rates in American racing.

Saturday's Derby City 6 sequence features the $150,000 Blame for 4-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles (seven entries); the $150,000 Shawnee for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles (eight entries); the $150,000 Regret (Grade III) for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on turf (nine entries); $150,000 Matt Winn (GIII) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles (eight entries); $150,000 Aristides for 4-year-olds and up at six furlongs (10 entries); and $110,000 Douglas Park Overnight Stakes for 4-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on turf (nine entries).

The 50-cent Late Pick 5 with a $73,634 carryover will cover the last five races on the card. The $1 Super Hi 5 with a $5,377 carryover is staged on the final race of the day.

Past performances are available at www.Brisnet.com or www.ChurchillDowns.com/Handicapping. Fans can wager on the Derby City 6 at Churchill Downs; www.TwinSpires.com, the official ADW of Churchill Downs Incorporated; other online wagering outlets; and select satellite betting centers throughout North America.

Churchill Downs' admission gates will open at 11:30 a.m. and tickets, starting at $5, are available on www.ChurchillDowns.com/tickets. The first of 11 races is 12:45 p.m. and the finale is scheduled for 5:58 p.m.

All 11 races on the Stephen Foster Preview Day card at Churchill Downs are scheduled to be televised on Fox Sports 2 from 12:30-6 p.m. as part of the “America's Day at the Races” coverage produced by the New York Racing Association.

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Maryland State Record Jackpot Carryover Builds To $747,098 For Saturday’s Card

A special Memorial Day weekend schedule of live racing continues Saturday with the Maryland state record jackpot carryover having grown to $747,098.73 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 after going unsolved Friday at historic Pimlico Race Course.

No horses were live to take down the jackpot heading into Friday's ninth-race finale, won by My Man Pots N Pans ($9.60). A total of $119,522 was bet into the popular multi-race wager, which began with a carryover of $708,857.82 from the last live program May 23. Multiple tickets with all six winners each returned $2,493.96.

The Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out only when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 60 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners while 40 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Introduced in Maryland April 2, 2015 on opening day of Pimlico's spring meet, the Rainbow 6 had its previous state record carryover reach $345,898.33 spanning 31 racing programs before being solved by one lucky bettor for a life-changing $399,545.94 payout April 15, 2018 at Laurel Park. The winning ticket was purchased through Maine off-track betting.

Post time for Saturday's nine-race program is 12:40 p.m. The Rainbow 6 begins in Race 4, a six-furlong claimer for 3-year-olds and up which have never won three races, or 3-year-olds. The feature comes in Race 8, a 1 1/16-mile allowance for Maryland-bred/sired 3-year-olds and up, where Artistic Reason – a half-brother to 2020 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) winner Majestic Reason – is set to make his 4-year-old debut off more than a nine-month layoff. Among the competition are four six-figure earners with a combined 69 starts as well as last-out stakes-placed Doubleoseven.

Saturday's card also includes a maiden special weight in Race 3 for fillies and mares age 3, 4 or 5 sprinting five furlongs on the turf. The narrow 4-1 program favorite is R. Larry Johnson's In Vain, a 3-year-old Maryland homebred daughter of Congrats that has ran third in three consecutive races over the winter at Gulfstream Park but is unraced since March 21.

The 50-cent Late Pick 5 Friday began with a carryover of $115,038.40 from May 23 and saw another $759,025 wagered. Tickets with all five winners were each worth $3,849.25.

There will also be a carryover of $9,245.87 in the $1 Super Hi-5 for Saturday's opener.

Following Saturday, Pimlico will host live race cards Sunday, May 30 and a special Memorial Day holiday program Monday, May 31.

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Rain Fails To Dampen Best Of Ohio Friday At Belterra Park

Despite a heavy rain and muddy track, five $100,000 Ohio Thoroughbred Race Fund (OTRF) stakes went off without a hitch on Best of Ohio day at Belterra Park on Friday, May 28.

Capturing the Sydney Gendelman Stakes was none other than the 9-5 choice Wicked Warrior, a Benny Feliciano-trainee owned by Bruce Tallisman, who demolished his competition by more than ten lengths. This 4-year-old bay gelding by Wicked Strong covered the one and one-sixteenth mile event for Registered Ohio-breds, 3-year-olds and up in 1:43.68 with Ricardo Feliciano in the saddle. Wicked Warrior now has $215,790 in career earnings from six wins, four seconds and one third in 13 starts. Forewarned (6-5) was second for Sonny Leon, with 18-1 Mobil Solution (Erik Barbaran) third and 90-1 Candy Exchange (David Haldar) fourth.

Altissimo captured the Palacious Memorial, a six-furlong sprint, for the third straight time (having won this stake in 2018 & 2019). Owned by Nancy Lavrich and Ronald Zielinski, the homebred 8-year-old son of Noble Causeway is trained by Richard Zielinski and now has $894,534 in earnings from 19 wins, eight seconds and six thirds in 48 career starts. Altissimo was clocked in 1:10.42 with rider Ronald Dale Allen, Jr., in the irons, with 19-1 Chief Randel (Fernando Becerra) second, 9-2 Going with Style (Sonny Leon) third and 9-2 I Wanna Win (Erik Barbaran) fourth.

Buckeye Magic captured his third career start in five tries as the 6-5 favorite by whipping his rivals in the Green Carpet Stakes. The son of Trappe Shot-Lady Buckeye, by Quiet American covered the one and one-sixteenth miles in 1:45.92 over the slop for rider John McKee. Thomas Drury, Jr., trained the winner for owners-breeders Maccabee Farm. Buckeye Magic upped his career earnings to $142,220 with this latest victory. Henry Mac (Luis Batista) was second at 40-1, while 8-1 Big Truck was third for Perry Ouzts and 3-1 choice Brig was fourth for Christian Pilares.

Last year's Galbreath Memorial winner Alexandria, notched her fifth lifetime triumph in her ninth start in the Norm Barron Queen City Oaks, a one and one-sixteenth test for Ohio-registered 3-year-old fillies. The chestnut daughter by Constitution-Spring Water, by Spring at Last is conditioned by Tim Hamm for her breeders and owners WinStar Farm, Blazing Meadows Farm and Michael Lewis. To date has Alexandria has amassed earnings of $261,945. She was clocked in 1:45.03 as the 2-5 choice with Santiago Gonzalez riding. Shez Shacked up (David Haldar) was second at 40-1, with 25-1 Angel's Sassy (Frank Reyes) third and 25-1 Lemon Deelite (John McKee) fourth.

Esplanande obliterated her rivals in the 4th running of the six-furlong Diana Stakes for Ohio-registered fillies, 3-year-old and up. The dark bay daughter of Daredevil-Southern Silence, by Dixie Union was clocked in 1:10.58 for trainer by Tim Hamm for breeders-owners Winstar Farm, Blazing Meadows Farm and Michael Lewis. This homebred, who left the gate at 2-5 odds, now has career earnings of $281,880. Drillit was second at 9-2 for Christian Pilares, with 14-1 Valley of Mo'ara (Frank Reyes) third and 18-1 Edge of Night (Ronald Dale Allen, Jr.) fourth.

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