Page 93 - Speedhorse June 2020

Temperature screenings are required daily for anyone entering the track.
Flags were at half-mast on Memorial Day weekend in honor of the COVID-19 victims.
Since Ruidoso typically runs at full capacity throughout All American weekend, the Kentucky Derby won’t draw additional people. Instead, Ruidoso lost its first Saturday in May, what True termed kind of a “soft opening” to the Quarter Horse meet. On Kentucky Derby Days in the past, many patrons showed up at Ruidoso for a New Mexico version of a Kentucky Derby party and wagered on simulcast races.
And while Ruidoso—in fact, the entire world—has of necessity focused on combatting the pandemic, racetrack management had to be sure not to ignore other factors.
“We’ve still got to get our casino open at some occupancy rate,” said True the day after Memorial Day. “The enforcement of our integrity policies has not gone away. We’re still doing a lot of hair testing and out-of-competition testing. We still have the same issues that racing had before. I want people to know that we haven’t given up on our integrity policies.”
The group that owns Ruidoso Downs includes longtime Quarter Horse racetrack industry leaders. They recognized the monetary challenges posed by the pandemic restrictions, but they forged ahead because they recognize the importance of giving horsemen a place to run their horses.
Ruidoso established drive- through betting with masked/ gloved tellers where people can place cash wagers if they’re wearing masks and don’t leave their cars.
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