Ruidoso Downs | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Literally, I Cannot See A Thing’: Ruidoso Announcer Calls Race In A Downpour

Robert Fox faced every racing announcer's worst nightmare during a violent downpour on Saturday at Ruidoso Downs: the rain began coming down so hard he could no longer see the field for the fourth race — or the starting gate. Fox said he knew the field had loaded into and broken from the gate because he could see the timer begin going, although at one point that also flickered.

“I have a little bit of a view at the head of the lane and I'll let you know from there,” Fox said as he squinted through rain falling off the announcer's booth, waiting for the horses to appear.

The shadow of horses appeared to Fox around the quarter pole, with Lemon Drop Gold leading the way by open lengths to break her maiden in memorable fashion. How she got there is known only to jockey Christian Ramos, since the official chart caller was also unable to see the field.

“I knew when there was a solid quarter time running, the race had to be going,” Fox said. “From there it was just trying to pick up a horse, like a 'shark watcher.' I think you can hear the excitement in my voice when I finally spotted the first horse.”

The remainder of the card was cancelled.

Watch the replay below.

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Report: Sunland Park Management Hired To Run Ruidoso Downs

According to a report in Quarter Horse Track magazine, the owners of Ruidoso Downs racetrack and casino in Ruidoso, N.M., have hired the management team at Sunland Park to run the track best known as being the home of the All American Futurity.

All American Ruidoso Downs Inc., which purchased Ruidoso Downs from R.D. Hubbard in 2017, consisted of four partners: Johnny Trotter, John Andreini, Stan Sigman and Chicho Flores. The dynamics of the ownership team changed after Andreini passed away in 2018 and Sigman died in December 2020.

The change will put Sunland Park general manager Rick Baugh in a similar position at Ruidoso, according to Quarter Horse Track. Sunland, which is owned by the family of the late Stan Fulton, did not race this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Jeff True, who was hired as president and general manager when All American Ruidoso Downs Inc. bought the track, said he was notified on Thursday of the change and will not be retained in any capacity. True developed a number of policies designed to increase the integrity of racing at Ruidoso, which had been scarred by numerous drugging scandals prior to coming onboard.

“I enjoyed my time at Ruidoso,” True told the Paulick Report. “It's been an honor and a privilege to take care of this special place. A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into it and I think Ruidoso is set up for success following a tough time because of COVID-19. It will do well.”

Ruidoso Downs is scheduled to open on May 28.

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Ruidoso Downs Kicks Off 2021 Season Memorial Day Weekend

Ruidoso Downs Race Track in New Mexico kicks off its summer racing season over Memorial Day Weekend when live racing begins on Friday, May 28. The 2021 season spans 15 weeks for a total of 47 days of live Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred racing. Race days are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and include Monday, May 31 and Monday, Sept. 6.

The $8 million Triple Crown program at Ruidoso Downs will once again be the focal point of the summer racing program. Those signature events include the $1,000,000 Ruidoso Futurity and the $750,000 Ruidoso Derby on June 12-13; the $1,000,000 Rainbow Futurity, the $500,000 Rainbow Derby and the $350,000 Rainbow Oaks on July 24-25; and the famous $3,000,000 All American Futurity, the $700,000 All American Derby and the $350,000 All American Oaks on September 5-6.

The stakes schedule for Quarter Horses continues to grow in 2021 with the addition of the $150,000 Mountain Top Derby for 3-year-olds and the $25,000 Jess Burner Stakes for 4-year-olds-and-up. The Thoroughbred racing program continues to offer rich opportunities with the Mountain Top Futurities and a strong schedule of Zia Festival races for New Mexico-breds in late July. The $50,000 First Lady Stakes for fillies and mares will run on July 4th Weekend.

“Running the 2020 season with 10% occupancy was a challenge, and we are eager to welcome fans back to Ruidoso Downs this summer,” said Jeff True, President and General Manager of Ruidoso Downs Race Track and Casino. “It has been a rough year for everyone, and we are excited to have our horsemen, horses and fans back on the mountain.”

Barns are set to open on April 15, and the track surface will open for training on April 19. Training races for unraced 2-year-olds are currently scheduled to be held May 3-5.

There will be new and familiar faces alike at Ruidoso Downs this summer as 2020 leading Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred trainers are expected to return including Blane Wood, trainer of 2020 All American Futurity winner and AQHA World Champion Whistle Stop Café, Wes Giles, Michael Joiner, Casey Lambert, and Todd Fincher. In addition, there will be some new faces on the backside as 2019 AQHA champion trainer Chris O'Dell moves his stable from Los Alamitos to Ruidoso Downs along with the stable of Dick “Flaco” Cappellucci.

During the off-season, Ruidoso Downs also invested in its on-track technology by signing a long-term tote services agreement with AmTote International; a product of 1/ST Technology and one of horse racing's largest and most innovative racing and gaming technology companies. The agreement will provide new technology to the track and enhance the betting experience for patrons.

The new technology includes the V3000e self-serve terminals which offer users a rich graphic interface, and the F3000e teller and self-serve convertible terminal. In addition, mobile betting through AmTote's MBet platform will also be deployed at Ruidoso. The infield and indoor tote boards will also be upgraded with new LED indication.

1/ST Technology's world-class products – AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX, and Betmix – are among the most trusted names in gaming, technology, and horse racing. AmTote technology and services host the majority of race track operators in North America and are currently in operation at Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park, Saratoga Race Course, Belmont Park, Aqueduct, and Woodbine, among many others, and process more than $15 billion in parimutuel and fixed odds wagering around the world each year.

“AmTote is a company I am very familiar with and have a great deal of confidence in. The new technology will accrue to the benefit of the New Mexico racing industry for years to come,” said Jeff True, President and General Manager of Ruidoso Downs Race Track. “Ruidoso Downs leads the state and the region in live, on-track attendance and handle, so betting technology matters to us.”

According to Keith Johnson of AmTote: “We are proud to be associated with the entire team at Ruidoso Downs and to now be hosting yet another of the world's major racing events with the world's richest quarter horse race, the All American Futurity, for many years to come.”

Ruidoso Downs Race Track also implemented a new online ticketing system that is designed to make ticket purchasing and seat selection easier for customers. Available season ticket tables are on sale at RaceRuidoso.com or by calling the box office at 575-378-4140. Individual race day tickets go on sale April 19 (with the exception of Labor Day Weekend tickets which will go on sale at a later date).

Ruidoso Downs will once again host the Ruidoso Handicapping Challenge, a qualifier to the National Handicapping Championship, on August 14. The winner of that contest will ultimately be awarded a seat in the National Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas. Last year's contest generated a great deal of interest and drew talented handicappers to Ruidoso Downs even during the pandemic.

Ruidoso Downs will offer a series of promotional weekends which will be announced soon on the RaceRuidoso.com website.

The All American Ruidoso Horse Sales continue to be the richest marketplace for American Quarter Horses. In 2021, the Select Yearling Sale will again be conducted on Labor Day Weekend. The New Mexico-Bred Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred Yearling Sale and the Foal-in-Utero Sale will be held August 20-21 during All American Trials weekend. The 2020 Select Yearling Sale was a high point in the history of the sale as 400 yearlings averaged nearly $50,000 each.

Billy the Kid Casino is scheduled to reopen on Monday, March 22 after being closed by state mandate since March 16, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The casino, the Sports Bar, and the simulcasting operation will be open daily from 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM.

New Mexico still has a mask mandate in place and Ruidoso Downs Race Track and Billy the Kid Casino will continue to enforce that mandate along with encouraging other COVID-Safe Practices (CSPs) including social distancing and hand sanitizing. Both entities will be required to follow occupancy guidelines based on New Mexico's Red to Green Framework.

For more information about the upcoming 2021 horse racing season at Ruidoso Downs Race Track, visit RaceRuidoso.com.

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New Mexico: Advanced Deposit Wagering Bill Would ‘Modernize And Digitize’ Pari-Mutuel Wagering

In a letter to New Mexico horsemen sent out on Thursday, Feb. 4, the New Mexico Horsemen's Association executive director Richard Erhard announced that state representative Candy Ezzell will introduce a bill to legalize advanced deposit wagering on Monday, Feb. 8.

The bill, HB199, will be introduced before the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee at 1:30 p.m., local time. It was developed in concert by the NMHA, New Mexico Horse Breeders Association, and Jeff True, president and general manager of Ruidoso Downs.

“The overarching objective of HB199 is to Modernize and Digitize our Pari-Mutuel Domain and allow New Mexico residents to wager on horse racing (our New Mexico content) through the use of their own personal electronic devices, i.e., mobile phones,” Erhard wrote. “There are numerous positive aspects of this legislation, however three notable positive outcomes are as follows:

Allow further penetration into our pari-mutuel market, therefore creating more revenue for the state of New Mexico and its legendary horse racing industry.
Maintain the current level of on-track revenue.
Stop bet poaching by out-of-state ADW groups.”

For more information, the full letter to horsemen is available here.

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