COVER 1 - NMHBA SUMMER 2017 low res

Report from April 2017 NM Racing
Commission Meeting
The New Mexico Racing Commission
held its monthly meeting at its headquarters
in Albuquerque on Thursday, April 13.
New Mexico Horse Breeders’ Association
executive director Anna Fay Davis gave
the commission the race-a-day report for the
first 64 days of the Sunland Park meet, which
opened December 16. During this period, the
track carded 274 New Mexico-bred races, 214
for Thoroughbreds and 60 for Quarter Horses.
By comparison, Sunland Park carded 269
state-bred races -- 209 for Thoroughbreds and
60 for Quarter Horses, during its 2015-16
meet, which was shortened to 61 days.
An average of 4.28 New Mexico-bred
races per day have been run during the
first 64 days of the Sunland Park meet,
a decrease of 3 percent from the 4.41
state-bred races per day during the track’s
61-day 2015-16 season.
Also, during the first 55 days of the
Sunland Park season, a total of 320 New
Mexico-breds have competed in open overnight
races, of which 83 (26 percent) finished
first, second, or third. Of this total, 63
were Thoroughbreds and 20 were Quarter
Horses. Bonuses totaling $58,767.50 were
paid to the owners of these horses.
Ms. Davis added that, during the first
64 days of its 2016-17 season, Sunland
Park has carded 237 New Mexico-bred
overnight races.
“There were 2,241 New Mexico-breds
that were scheduled to participate in these
races,” she reported. “This is an average of
9.46 New Mexico-breds per race.”
Ms. Davis also introduced Mary Barber
to the commission. Ms. Barber has been
the NMHBA’s registrar since 1993.
“Mary is responsible for registering
horses, keeping track of New Mexico-bred
races and New Mexico-breds racing in open
races,” Ms. Davis said. “When you call the
office with a question, she’s the one who
can find the answers for you.”
Sunland Park’s 72-day meet runs
through April 18.
• Commission vice chair Gayla McCulloch
of Farmington reported on the
commission’s rules committee meeting,
which was held on April 12.
“The meeting went very well,” Ms.
McCulloch said. “The main topic of
the meeting was to update our rules to
be consistent with the (Association of
Racing Commissioners International’s)
recent revision of their model rules.”
• New Mexico Horsemen’s Association
(www.newmexicohorsemen.com) executive
director Pat Bingham reported that the
NMHBA would hold its awards banquet
in Farmington on May 10. The banquet
will honor award winners from 2015-16.
Mr. Bingham also said that the
NMHBA has resumed producing its newsletter
and that the mailing list numbers
5,200 subscribers. In addition, the association
is working with the University of New
Mexico’s economics department to produced
a report on the economic impact of
the horse industry in New Mexico.
“Also, (Governor Susana Martinez)
will likely call a special session of the legislature
in the near future, and there will
be efforts to impose gross receipt taxes
on our purses,” Mr. Bingham said. “We
will continue to strongly oppose that.”
• Commission executive director Ismael
“Izzy” Trejo recently celebrated his
one-year anniversary in his post.
“I’d like to thank everyone who
made the transition a smooth one for
me, and I will continue to step out on
the plank for this industry because it
is one that has fed me and educated
me,”said Mr. Trejo, whose father, Amalio,
has been a longtime trainer on the
southwest racing circuit.
Mr. Trejo also reported on the preseason
walk-through at SunRay Park
in Farmington, which opens its 36-day
meet on April 21.
“The entire facility is as tidy as it can
be,” he said. “I look forward to a great
meet, and I plan to visit as often as I can.
“I also would like to congratulate
Sunland Park on a job well done on
its Sunland Derby Day program,” Mr.
Trejo added. “They put on a great event
for the entire weekend. It was a great
event for the horse racing industry in
New Mexico.”
Also at the meeting:
• The commission approved Dr. David
Fly to be its official veterinarian for the
52-day Ruidoso meet, which opens
May 26.
• The commission approved the following
board of stewards for the SunRay Park
meet: Ron Walker (presiding), Linda
Salinas, and Martin Hamilton. A former
jockey, Hamilton rode the winners of
796 Thoroughbred races from 1976-90,
primarily on the west coast, and he has
been working in various capacities as a
racing official since he retired from riding.
• The commission approved the jockey
and exercise rider insurance policy for
the Albuquerque Downs meet, which
opens on June 24. “Our premium was
reduced 4 percent from last year, so
that’s an encouraging sign,” said track
director of racing Don Cook.
• The commission approved Ruidoso
Downs’ request to reduce its number of
race dates in 2017 from 60, as originally
approved, to 52. Ruidoso Downs will
drop Monday racing from its schedule
starting July 8 through the end of its
meet on September 4.
Ruidoso Downs spokesman Dennis
Monroe reported that the track would
amend its condition book to offer 10
races a day, up from the original nine,
and would implement a 5-percent purse
increase for overnight races.
Representing the New Mexico
Horsemen’s Association, executive
director Pat Bingham said that his
group opposed the cut in dates.
”Many people would be affected
if the track was allowed to cut its
dates,” Mr. Bingham said. “It would
cut the number of opportunities for
our horsemen, particularly on the
Thoroughbred side. The meet’s dates
have already been set, and people have
made their plans.”
“With the overlap we have with
Albuquerque, we have trouble filling
our races as it is,” Mr. Monroe said.
“Because we have such little crowd participation
on Mondays, as people have
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