Page 34 - NMHBA Spring 2020

Can 23 Days Make a Difference?
by Diane M. Ciarloni
Yes, they can – and they probably will – when those 23 days refer to a cut in New Mexico’s racing schedule. The reduction went into effect in 2019, and will run through 2020. Some people fear there may be yet another cut looming on the horizon, since the New Mexico Racing Commission (NMRC) has requested the state’s five tracks to provide their feedback for 2021 much earlier than in the past.
There are several twists, turns and back- stories involved in the race dates reduction and, for that reason, it seems prudent to provide some facts prior to launching into the discussion.
You can have those facts and background information tucked away for reference as you read the thoughts and opinions of horsemen weighing in on the subject.
The NMRC and the racetracks are in agreement with the cut. The reason given by all five tracks is short Thoroughbred fields which, they say, are economically devastating.
The short Thoroughbred fields introduce one
of those twisted issues. Specifically, many of us
have spent years (literally!) believing New Mexico’s
60/40 split of race days between Thoroughbreds
and Quarter Horses was based on state legislation.
Well, it’s not. It’s based on a simple “gentleman’s
agreement” made a number of years ago by a
group of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse folks. The agreement has been held as sacrosanct
ever since the first handshake and, even though 32 New Mexico Horse Breeder
it makes no sense and defies logic, many involved parties choose to turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to the confusion and hardship it’s causing.
Before going any further, let’s establish the date changes and/or the status quo of each track for 2019/2020.
SunRay Park in Farmington ran 33 days in 2018, 17 days in 2019, and have been allocated 21 days for 2020. Both the track and the commission considered 2019 a rousing success from all aspects. The track wanted to run the same format in 2020, but the NMRC and the calendar felt differently, returning four of the previously cut days to the schedule.
According to SunRay management, their overall TB field size has been decreasing
since 2000. It increased, however, in 2019 when their race dates were cut by the already mentioned 17 days. And, of course, purses were up since the pie was cut into fewer slices – 17 fewer to be precise.
Sunland Park, where Quarters compete only on Fridays, was cut by four days. Since Sunland is one of the state’s more influential tracks, it’s interesting to look at some of its numbers thus far for 2020.
Through February 11, Sunland recorded 120 NM-Bred races in a 28-day period. There were 76 TB overnighters versus 20, or 21 percent, for Quarters. The average field size for Thoroughbreds was 8.31, and 9.89 for Quarter
Horses. There were 723 TBs on the grounds, either stabled or haul-ins, and 178 Quarters.
Zia Park in Hobbs, another New Mexico track of consequence, logged 220 NM-Bred races in 53 days, through December 18, 2019.
Field size at Zia, which was awarded one additional race day for 2020, held steady. The TB average was 9.41 (1,346 horses participated) and 9.74 for Quarters with 526 horses competing.
The Downs at Albuquerque was cut from 39 days in 2019, to 27 days for 2020. Once again, track management is pleased, saying they needed desperately to reduce their dates. General manager Don Cook stated Albuquerque’s Thoroughbred population has suffered a decline during the past 20 years. And Quarter Horses? No problem. There are plenty of those.
The New Mexico State Fair is another fairly well-kept secret. Many of us thought its 17 non-consecutive days was a stand-alone event, but that’s not true. The actual Fair is a separate event, but those 17 days are considered as Albuquerque’s overall date schedule. The Fair will remain at 17 days for this year.
Ruidoso Downs, long considered the jewel
of New Mexico’s racing program, was cut four days. Management expresses no concern over the reduction, saying they’re happy with their dates and are very optimistic about the upcoming season.
The loudest and clearest message that seems to come through in all of the foregoing is the