Page 29 - New Mexico Horse Breeder Spring 2018

figured out I wanted to run a racetrack. And finally in 2003 I was running a racetrack (as
the GM at Los Alamitos). And then these other opportunities came along. And so the last 14 years and change I had been doing other things. I was getting more and more away from horse racing itself. So when the opportunity came up to run a racetrack again, it was very enticing.”
Jeff says the history of Ruidoso Downs also was a significant factor in his decision.
“To run this racetrack, this iconic home of Quarter Horse racing. The Triple Crown of Quarter Horse racing, the place that back in the ‘80s I was in awe of. It was almost back to my roots.”
True says the new owners—Stan Sigman, John Andreini, Narciso “Chicho” Flores and Johnny Trotter—are committed to not only making physical improvements at the track, but are also putting in place tougher security measures.
“The owners say we have to clean this thing up,” said True. “We’ve gotten too far from where we need to be. It’s not fair. We’ve got guys that are cheating. We’ve got lax security and we don’t have compliance enforcement.”
To that end, the track’s
management will require every
trainer to sign a document
that specifies the compliance
requirements. Among the
policies and procedures that
will be in place for this year’s
Ruidoso meet:
• Any horse that tests positive for a prohibited substances will be placed on the stewards list for no less than 60 days and will only be considered for entry into a race pending the outcome of further testing.
• All horses qualifying to a graded stakes race at Ruidoso Downs will be subject to post race testing of blood and urine and out of competition testing using blood or hair testing procedures performed by the New Mexico Racing Commission.
• No horse will be eligible to compete in a stakes final, consolation or time trial race that has tested positive for a prohibited substance since its arrival at Ruidoso, or within 45 days of entry to such a race.
• Any top 10 qualifying horse to a stakes race which becomes ineligible to run in the finals will be replaced by the next fastest qualifier(s) so that a full field of 10 finalists competes.
• Owners and trainers have the right to refuse testing of any of their horses, but by doing so they forfeit the opportunity to race that horse at Ruidoso Downs.
• Any licensed trainer of record who has a horse that tests positive for a prohibited substance will be subject to removal from the track, in addition to any other penalties that might be imposed by the Racing Commission.
For Ruidoso Downs in particular and horse racing in general, there’s another elephant in the room. With the arrival of tribal casinos, racetracks nationwide have had to come up with new ways to generate revenue. True says the track plans to launch “an aggressive marketing plan” that will include things such as mailing out pari-mutuel vouchers that can be redeemed at the track.
The new ownership—named All American Ruidoso Downs—plans to have a “receiving barn” in operation by the time this year’s meet begins. Such a facility would be a first for New Mexico racing.
True said horses entered in a race would first be taken from their barns to the receiving barn, where they would be under surveillance for say 20 to 30 minutes before heading to the paddock.
“We’re increasing the surveillance time from bridal time to post time because bad things can happen just before the race,” he said.
True said all of the measures being taken— from the receiving barn, to a new perimeter fence around the backside, to increased security and enforcement of the track’s compliance policies—”will improve our level of integrity and level of competition.”
For Ruidoso Downs in particular and horse racing in general, there’s another elephant in the room.
Gone are the days when fast horses were the only game in town. With the arrival of tribal casinos, racetracks nationwide have had to come up with new ways to generate revenue. Various studies, including one commissioned by the Jockey Club several years ago, show there has been a steady decline in fan interest and betting on horse racing.
So tracks are having to come up with new ways to try to get back the fans. True says that too will be part of the track’s game plan going forward.
The track plans to launch “an aggressive marketing plan” that will include things such as mailing out pari-mutuel vouchers that can be redeemed at the track. The vouchers will have a value of at least $5, with some worth larger amounts.
“We’ll do that at least three times during the meet,” said True. “It’s one of the best promotions in this business.”
The vouchers will go out to race fans in West Texas, Las Cruces, El Paso and eastern New Mexico.
The track also plans to purchase mailing lists of individuals who have been to the races at Ruidoso Downs in the past, who have visited Ruidoso or a casino.
True said the track also will put on a variety
of events such as a wine festival, a Hispanic friendship day, a motorcycle rally, an ethnic foods day and events to honor members of the military.
The track also plans to add an extra $1,000 to the trifecta pool in the fifth race every Saturday during the meet.
Ruidoso Downs will run a 47-day live
meet this summer. The track will run Fridays through Sundays. The track, up until midway through last summer, had also run on Mondays. Ultimately, says True, he would like to see the track expand its race days to 55 or 60 days a year, beginning with the first Saturday in May and running into September.
“We have a great product here, a great resort community,” he says.
True says he’s ready for an extended stay at this latest crossroads in his life.
“I’ve said this is a 10-year commitment,” he said. “Whether I last that long or not remains to be seen. Mentally for me it’s a 10-year deal because the state of Quarter Horse racing and specifically the state of Quarter Horse racing at Ruidoso Downs is going to take a while to fix.”
“There are no home runs in this business anymore,” says True. “You have to hit a bunch of singles and doubles and you’ve got to do multiple singles and doubles during the game to make this thing work. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
SPRING 2018 27