Page 104 - August_2023

2023 RUIDOSO DOWNS HALL OF
FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY
Story by Emily Paulk, Speedhorse • Photos by Bailey Ivey, Ruidoso Downs
Five industry leaders and one World Champion racehorse were inducted into the Ruidoso Downs Hall of Fame during a ceremony held at the banquet hall of the Alto Lakes Golf and Country Club on June 29. These individuals were recognized for their contributions to the history of Quarter Horse race.
SEE ME DO IT
1989 World Champion See Me Do It was selected as this year’s horse inductee. Foaled in 1986, See Me Do It was bred and owned by Jean Dillard, who passed away in 2021. During the filly’s career on the track, she won 17 of her 24 starts,
six of which were stakes events. Undefeated in
her three-year-old year, she won the All American Derby-G1, Rainbow Derby-G1 and Champion of Champions-G1. She was the only horse in AQHA history to win all three of those prestigious stakes races. In addition to World Champion, See Me
Do It was also named Champion 2-Year-Old Filly, Champion 3 Year Old, and Champion 3-Year-Old Filly. After retirement, she went on to produce five winners from 11 starters, including Lookin For Me, winner of the 1995 Black Gold 330 Futurity.
THE URSCHEL FAMILY
Dan, Jolene and Mary Urschel are well known in the Quarter Horse racing industry
and are some of the most successful owners in the industry. The Urschel family won their first Rainbow Futurity-G1 in 1973 with homebred Flying Rockette campaigned by Mary, Dan’s mother. After a brief hiatus, they came back in 1978 when they purchased Easy Dimple. In 1979, Champion Pie In The Sky won the All American Futurity-G1. In 1980, the family won their second Rainbow Futurity-G1 with 2-time Champion Mighty Deck Three.
In 1981, Dan and Jolene purchased Special Effort for $1 million, which was
the highest price in history at the time. The World Champion remains the only racehorse to ever win the Triple Crown series and went on to become a leading sire and leading broodmare sire.
The Urschel family also bred leading sire Strawfly Special and Mary Urschel campaigned Hall of Fame inductee Master Salls.
Mary passed away in 1998, followed by Dan in 2014. Jolene continues her involvement in the racing industry.
JOE A. MARTINEZ
All American jockey Joe A. Martinez has become the latest jockey inducted into the Ruidoso Hall of Fame. Considered a top
jockey in the southwest, Martinez set an all- time record in 1990 when he won 103 races during one season at Ruidoso Downs. Among his top mounts are All American Derby winners See Me Gone and Royal Down Dash and World Champion Stoli. During his career, Martinez has won over 4,000 QH and TB races with earnings of $36,500,000.
PAUL A. SMITH
The trainer selected for this year’s induction is Paul A. Smith, who has a career that dates back nearly 70 years and counting. Smith began training horses in the 1950’s and his most notable Quarter Horse trainee is Otoe, who was inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame in 2018. The colt won five of 13 races before heading to the show ring
and then to the stud barn. Smith trained horses with 1,500 wins and career earnings of over $8,200,000.
MIKE “MITCH” MITCHELL
Long-time Ruidoso Downs outrider Mitch Mitchell began his career at Ruidoso Downs on the gate crew for 15 years. After suffering an injury, he became the track’s outrider. He held the position of outrider for 20 years until his recent retirement in 2021.
Johnny Trotter, Mitch Mitchell and Tom Dawson, Emcee Sleepy Gilbreath, Joe A. Martinez and Tom Dawson, Emcee
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