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MEETING TIME
REPORT FROM JUNE 2022
NM RACING COMMISSION MEETING
The New Mexico Racing Commission held its monthly meeting at its offices in Albuquerque on Thursday, June 16, 2022.
New Mexico Horse Breeders’ Association executive director Mary Barber gave the commission the NMHBA’s race-a-day report
for the 18-day SunRay Park meet, which ended May 29. During the SunRay meet, the track carded 63 New Mexico-bred races, 38 for Thoroughbreds and 25 for Quarter Horses. By comparison, 65 state-bred races were contested during the track’s 2021 meet, which also ran for 18 days. Of those 65 state-bred races, 39 were for Thoroughbreds and 26 were for Quarter Horses.
An average of 3.50 New Mexico-bred races per day were run during the 2022 SunRay Park meet, a slight decrease from the 3.62 state-bred races per day run during the track’s ’21 season.
Ms. Barber also noted that the 63 New Mexico-bred races run during the first nine days of the SunRay meet offered a total
of $558,000 in purses, up from $448,000 during last year’s meet.
Also, during the first six days of the SunRay Park meet, a total of 386 New Mexico-breds competed in open overnight races, of which 124 (60 Thoroughbreds and 64 Quarter Horses) finished first, second or third. Bonuses totaling $196,008 were paid to the owners of these horses.
In addition, during the SunRay Park meet 283 horses competed in 34 New Mexico-bred Thoroughbred overnight races, an average
of 8.33 entries per race. A total of 133 horses competed in 15 New Mexico-bred Quarter Horse overnight races, an average of 8.87 entries per race.
“New Mexico-breds did very well at SunRay Park this year,” Ms. Barber reported. “They won 102 of the 182 races run during the meet. That works out to 56 percent of the races.”
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During his report to the commission, NMRC chairman Sam Bregman of Albuquerque reminded meeting attendees about the July
1 deadline to register with the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA). Commission executive director Ismael “Izzy” Trejo, during his report, complimented Rick Baugh and Ethan Linder of Ruidoso Downs on the successful opening of the track’s season.
“Their handle is up slightly, but what’s really great is that their exported simulcast handle is up 86 percent,” Mr. Trejo said. “The export signal being approved has made a huge difference.”
Mr. Trejo added that he would be attending the Association of Racing Commissioners International meeting at the end of July at Del Mar.
Also at the meeting:
• During the public comment section, Warren Frost of Coronado Partners talked about
the six years his group has been trying to
get the sixth license to build a racetrack in Tucumcari in eastern New Mexico.
“We would be honored to have the commissioners come to Tucumcari so we can show you around and show you what our plans are,” Mr. Frost said. “We are willing
to provide any and all information the commission would require.
“The commissioners are so important in that you can have an impact on our community by creating 500 jobs,” he added. “This would be a game changer for Tucumcari.”
• Ruidoso Downs general manager Rick Baugh reported that his track was able to increase purses 20 percent effective with the second condition book.
“We might be able to raise purses again later on in the meet,” Mr. Baugh said. “Our simulcast revenue is way up. We watch the numbers every day.”
• Chris McErlean, vice president of racing
for Penn National Gaming Inc., asked for and received approval for Zia Park’s stakes schedule. He added that three stakes were added back to Zia Park’s stakes schedule and that funds are up $800,000 over last year.
36 New Mexico Horse Breeder