Page 41 - 22 June 2012

The historic race between El Relampago (The Lightning) and El Moro.
Manuel Ávila Camacho, the only Mexican racetrack to date that is recognized by the authorities that regulate horse racing interna- tionally. In its first 40 years of activity it was reserved for Thoroughbred racing; it was in 1983 when races with Quarter Horses were incorporated, representing one-third of the rac- ing program to date.
The location of the Hipódromo de las Américas in Mexico City, the enormous extension of the national territory, and the widespread and growing fondness for racing led to the opening of facilities where horses could race. According to regional customs, these are called lanes, tastes or racetracks.
Match racing along with charrería, are
to this day the equestrian sports most widely accepted in Mexico. They are practiced throughout the length and width of the coun- try. The race that the Mexicans remember most vividly is the one that included El Relampago (or Zaino) of Agua Prieta and El Moro of Cumpas on March 17, 1957, in Agua Prieta, Sonora, which borders Douglas, Arizona. The race was a historical moment that is still com- memorated yearly. It was also expressed in a very famous corrido.
CURRENT FEATURES OF MATCH RACING
The term “match” is due to the fact that races were originally only between two horses. That is, a matched pair. Currently, it applies broadly to any race that takes place outside of the Hipódromo de Las Américas, although match racing has taken place at the racetrack as well. I remember that historic meeting staged in 1974, with the Mexican horse Beduino TB against the 3-year-old U.S. champion Come Six, which resulted in the Mexican national representative as the winner.
With the modernization of match racing facilities, which involved adding spring open- ing doors to the gates and increasing the width and length of the track, the number of runners may be two or more. There are scenarios where six or more individuals can compete per race. The U.S. equivalents are the “mechadas” (matches), that also occur outside official tracks with a broad participation of Mexicans.
According to recent data from the Interior Ministry, which is the government agency responsible for granting permits to conduct horse racing with stakes, there are 175 lanes, tastes or tracks, under its supervision and
A spectacular exit from the mechanical starting gates in a 100-yard race at Rancho Santin.
control in Mexico. These are the most impor- tant locations, and where racing programs are carried out at least every two weeks, preferably on a Saturday or Sunday. By my own calcula- tions, there are at least an equal number of other more modest installations where races are only carried out in certain seasons or on special occasions, such as traditional festivals.
States that account for the majority of facili- ties (130) for match racing, registered with the Interior Ministry, are: Jalisco (20), Sonora (18), Durango (16), Zacatecas (14), Tamaulipas (12), San Luis Potosí (9), Aguascalientes (8), Nuevo León (7), Estado de México (6), with Michoacán, Chiapas, Coahuila and Hidalgo with 5 each.
Don’t Let The Time Slip Away
Reserve your space now for the 2013 Stallion Register.
CALL US TODAY! (405) 288-2145
SPEEDHORSE, June 22, 2012 41
AROUND THE GLOBE
www.sonoraequina.com
Rodrigo Osnaya