Page 93 - NM Spring 2019

Ms. Barber also reported money from the unclaimed pari-mutuel ticket account totaled $131,438.59, and there were 743 NMHBA members in 2018, down 8 percent from 811 in ’17.
“We’ve cut a lot of expenses the past
few years, including eliminating our wall calendar,” said Mr. Vincent. “Everyone liked the calendar, but we just didn’t have the financial resources to continue to produce it.
“We’re not planning to ask for any more money from our membership,” he added. “We will look for other ways to increase revenue, including through sports wagering and ADW. We currently run very lean, but we will always be looking for ways to find recurring revenue sources.
“Our export mare program brings in about $45,000 a year. We’re in the black, and a lot of that has to do with the ad- ditional things we’ve done. Our sale was great, and our purse money was up last year. If you’re a smart businessperson, this would be the time to get involved in our racing and breeding programs.”
From September 9, 2017-September 23, 2018 - excluding the 2018 Zia Park season - the NMHBA distributed a total of $3,823,293.47 in awards: $1,662,303.88 in owners’ awards, $1,870,088.35 in breeders’
awards, and $290,901.26 in stallion owners’ awards. The total distribution marked a 1 percent increase from the previous year’s distribution of $3,776,108.69.
A total of 1,391 checks were issued: 874 to owners, 366 to breeders, and 151 to stal- lion owners. The top five award recipients were, in order: MJ Farms, R.D. Hubbard et al, J. Kirk and Judy Robison, Mike C. Abra- ham et al, and Michael G. Weatherly.
Regarding registrations, 946 New Mexico-bred horses (497 Quarter Horses and 464 Thoroughbreds) were registered
in 2018, down 2 percent from the previous year, when 961 New Mexico-bred horses (497 Quarter Horses and 464 Thorough- breds) were registered, and down 8 percent from 2017, when 1,029 (583 Quarter Horses and 446 Thoroughbreds) were registered.
Breaking it down by breed, the number of New Mexico-bred Quarter Horses regis- tered in 2018 increased by 3 percent, from 497 in 2017 to 512. On the Thoroughbred side, 434 were registered in 2018, down 6 percent from 464 the previous year.
“Registrations have been cut nearly in half since 2008,” Ms. Barber said. “This shows we need to do a better job of getting new people and younger people involved so we can help stem this decline.”
NMHBA Executive Director Mary Barber
In her report to the membership, NMHBA executive director Mary Barber presented a summary of the association’s financial status.
Cash receipts for the year ending December 31, 2018, totaled $463,047, up 7 percent from the cash receipts of $431,269 for the year ending December 31, 2017. To- tal cash expenses for 2018 totaled $378,500, a decrease of 2 percent from the 2017 cash expenses totaling $387,838.
“We had a net gain of $84,547 in 2018, which compared favorably to our net gain of $43,431 in 2017,” Ms. Barber said. “This sig- nificant increase (95 percent) was due in large part to our silent auction at our 2018 annual meeting, and our stallion service auction dur- ing the New Mexico-Bred Sale in August.”
Ismael “Izzy” Trejo, executive director
of the New Mexico Racing Commission, was the meeting’s special guest speaker. He focused his presentation on the commission’s increased drug-testing efforts.
“It was made very clear to me when I came on board at the commission that New Mexico had some serious issues regarding positive tests,” Mr. Trejo said. “Pari-mutuel handle was in decline, public perception
of horse racing was taking a hit, and it was clear that something had to be done. All the stakeholders are in agreement on this topic.
“I’ve worked in a lot of jurisdictions in this country, but this was the first time I’d seen track management, horsemen, breed- ers - all of the stakeholders - work together toward the same goal,” he added.
Mr. Trejo cited that, in 2014, all- sources handle at New Mexico tracks was $147 million for 284 racing days. Four years later, all-sources handle reached $169 million for 260 racing days.
“Our handle has increased, despite
the fact that our number of race days has decreased,” he added. “I think that shows we’re heading in the right direction.”
Mr. Trejo reported there were 508 out-of-competition tests conducted in 2018, up 54 percent from 2017, when 329
out-of-competition tests were conducted. Twenty positives (3.9 percent of samples) turned up in 2018, compared to 27 (8.2 percent of samples) the previous year.
During the 2018 calendar year, 8,375 tests were conducted at all five of New Mexico’s tracks (3,818 blood, 4,557 urine), an increase of 78 percent over 2017, when 4,707 tests were conducted (1,050 blood, 3,657 urine). In 2018, 1.6 percent of the tests were positive, compared to 2017, when 2.4 percent were positive.
In addition to increased testing, the NMRC is working to eliminate the use of “paper trainers.”
“Our trainer’s test consists of a total
of 500 questions, of which 150 questions are selected at random for every test,” Mr. Trejo said. “No two people get the same test. Of the first 49 people to take the test, only eight have passed.”
Mr. Trejo also reported that the NMRC is working on more measures to protect the racehorse, including the commission’s “High- Risk Program,” where stewards look at the past performances of horses entered in races. If a horse is coming off of a long layoff or is taking a substantial drop in claiming price, these horses are considered to have a higher risk of sustaining a catastrophic injury.
“Our veterinarians give these horses a thorough examination, and if the horse passes this exam it will be observed in the paddock,” Mr. Trejo said. “We know that we need to continue to pursue measures to take care of our horses. The purpose of this program is solely to minimize catastrophic breakdowns.
“I got some comments from some of my colleagues when it was announced that I had taken this job, and most of them were along the lines of, ‘Why would you want to go to New Mexico?’,” he added. “Well, I’m glad I came because I’ve met and worked with a lot of great people here. But we’ve got to keep our sleeves rolled up and keep working because our job is not done. We still have a lot of work to do.”
NMRC Executive Director Ismael “Izzy” Trejo
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