Page 68 - Winter 2020

LIFETIMES
THE
COVID-19 PANDEMIC, 2020
ofNEWMEXICOHORSE RACING in the age of
AND
On January 30, 2020, the World Health Or- ganization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a “public health emergency of international concern.”
Slightly less than three months later, March 11, 2020, the “concern” became a “pandemic.” It was far too early for anyone to predict (or even to imag- ine) the depth, breadth and mind-boggling com- plexity of the domino-effect impact of the head-on collision between horse racing and the teeny-tiny molecular structure christened COVID-19.
On March 14, with the ink barely dry on the pandemic memo issued three days earlier, New Mexico Governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, contacted management officials at all the state’s race tracks. The word was to put the brakes on all on-site activities, including live racing and casinos, effective immediately.
Sunland Park was racing on March 14 but, on March 15, announced it would suspend its operations for at least two to three weeks. After all, most people never thought there would be a need to go beyond 14 to 21 days.
On March 16, the New Mexico Gover-
nor directed the NM Department of Health (NMDOH) to limit gatherings of 100 people
or more until further notice. The day before, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) set the number at 50 for eight weeks. On the same day, the federal directive said no more than 10 people should gath- er, and to stay away from bars and other public places. Stay home as much as possible. Eliminate purely discretionary travel for two weeks.
The entire world switched to a state of emergency. Could trainers continue training, keeping the
horses in their care race-ready for when the restric- tions lifted? How would no casino revenue and no on-track betting affect purses? When? What? How? There were no answers because there was no time line. Everything was (is) on a day-to-day basis.
On March 20, horsemen were told they could withdraw funds from their accounts at Sunland, and trainers would in no way be penalized if they requested their horses’ papers before the end of the Sunland meet. It was recommended that the Sunland meet be extended by three weeks and the opening of SunRay be delayed by the same amount of time. The suggestion was predicated on a resumption of racing by April 10.
It was like sliding a hand along a dark wall in search of a light switch.
March 23, the NMDOH said all racing facilities must close. Sunland was included in the order, even though horsemen were told it would remain open for training. Negotiations began immediately and, as a result, Sunland was closed for only one day. An- other question that came up on March 27 was what to do with the $3,059,988 in purse funds remaining in Sunland’s account at the time of its suspension of live racing. Then, on March 31, the New Mexico Racing Commission (NMRC) postponed the start of the SunRay meet through the end of April
The end of April never arrived since, on April 16, the NMRC cancelled the 2020 race dates
for Sunland and SunRay. Sunland’s shut-down meant skipping the $700,000 Sunland Derby,
a Kentucky Derby qualifying race. It was also decided the left-over purse money would be re- distributed to the other three tracks.
GOOD NEWS!
April 30: NMDOH issued a new order saying, Horse racing facilities may operate without spectators. The day before, April 29, Ruidoso Downs announced the opening of its summer meet, allowing horsemen to be- gin moving onto the grounds by May 1.
It was a long way from the entire pie but it was a couple of good- sized slices. Horse- men had weathered six turbulent weeks of uncertainty and setbacks but, finally, a light switch on that dark wall was flipped on. And, during those six weeks, horsemen did what horsemen do.
They were resilient, positive and opti- mistic. They had good, encouraging words for one another. Individuals, groups and businesses provided money, horse feed and even food for workers. As horsemen do, they responded to their common denominator.... the horse.
On May 4, The Downs at Albuquerque announced it would begin accepting horses May 11. Both Albuquerque and Ruidoso posted, and strictly enforced, strong CO- VID-19 protocols. Horses would run, but it would be an unprecedented, surreal experi- ence since there would be only silence from the grandstands and the rail.
A silent movie, if you will. The mandated absence of casinos and on-track wagering remained in place. Those were the two big- gest, richest slices of the pie that were still in the pan.
The economic impact of horse racing in the state of New Mexico is it’s the third largest source of income, a $500-million industry. Only oil/gas and tourism are in front of it. But, if horse racing hurts, so does tourism.
66 New Mexico Horse Breeder