COVER 1 - NMHBA SUMMER 2017 low res

already left Ruidoso after the weekend,
this move makes sense to us.”
The commission approved the cut in
dates by a 4-1 vote, with Ms. McCulloch
casting the lone “no” vote.
• The commission approved the jockey
and exercise rider insurance policy for
SunRay Park. “Our premium dropped
by 10 percent, and we’re hoping for
another good year,” said SunRay
director of racing Lonnie Barber.
“We’ve done a lot of work on our
racetrack to prepare for the opening of
our meet,” he added. “We added about
1,500 tons of sand and about 1,000
tons of bark, and we plan to add some
gypsum to it. As of yesterday (April
12), we had 21 horses on the grounds,
but we had enough stall application to
fill up our barns when the meet starts.
A lot of horses will be showing up in
the next week.”
• Sunland Park director of racing Dustin Dix
reported that handle on Sunland Derby
Day, March 26, reached $3.2 million.
“We were hoping for $4 million, but
we were very pleased,” he added. “After
what happened last year and being that
we were forced to cancel it last year, it
was good to have it back this year. We
added a Pick-4 wager and rolling double
wagers, and we increased the amount of
time between races to accommodate the
large crowd.
“To hear Sunland Park mentioned
in a national spotlight is good for New
Mexico racing,” Mr. Dix said. “I’ve
been fortunate enough to be a part of
every Sunland Derby since the race’s
inception, and to see how much it’s
grown in stature is very gratifying. We
hope to grow it even more.”
Report from May 2017 NM Racing
Commission Meeting
The New Mexico Racing Commission
held its monthly meeting at its headquarters
at SunRay Park Racetrack and Casino
on Thursday, May 11.
New Mexico Horse Breeders’ Association
executive director Anna Fay Davis gave
the commission the final race-a-day report
for the 72-day Sunland Park meet, which
ran December 16-April 18. During the
Sunland meet, the track carded 309 New
Mexico-bred races, 242 for Thoroughbreds
and 67 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 4.29 New Mexico-bred
races per day have were run during the
2016-17 Sunland Park meet, a decrease of
2.7 percent from the 4.41 state-bred races
per day during the track’s 2015-16 season.
Also, during the Sunland Park season, a
total of 450 New Mexico-breds competed in
open overnight races, of which 120 (27 percent)
finished first, second, or third. Of this
total, 91 were Thoroughbreds and 29 were
Quarter Horses. Bonuses totaling $88,625.90
were paid to the owners of these horses.
Ms. Davis added that, during the Sunland
meet the track carded 270 New Mexico-bred
overnight races.
“There were 2,595 New Mexico-breds
that were scheduled to participate in these
races,” she reported. “This is an average of
9.61 New Mexico-breds per race.”
Ms. Davis also gave the commission the
race-a-day report for the first eight days
of the 36-day SunRay Park meet, which
opened April 21. During this period, the
track carded 18 New Mexico-bred races,
10 for Thoroughbreds and eight for
Quarter Horses. By comparison, SunRay
Park carded 15 state-bred races -- five
for Thoroughbreds and 10 for Quarter
Horses -- during the first eight days of its
2016 season.
An average of 2.25 New Mexicobred
have been run during the first eight
days of the 2017 SunRay Park meet, an
increase of 19.7 percent over the 1.88
state-bred races per day during the track’s
2016 season.
Ms. Davis added that, during the first
eight days of the SunRay meet, the track
carded 13 New Mexico-bred overnight races.
“There were 109 New Mexico-breds
that were scheduled to participate in these
races,” she said. “This is an average of 8.38
New Mexico-breds per race. We are working
with the director of racing (Lonnie Barber)
to get the average up to three before the
meet is over.”
• New Mexico Horsemen’s Association
(www.newmexicohorsemen.com)
executive director Pat Bingham
thanked Lonnie Barber for hosting the
NMHA’s awards banquet at SunRay
Park. The banquet honored the New
Mexico award winners from the 2015
and ’16 seasons.
Mr. Bingham also told the commission
that the University of New Mexico
is conducting an economic impact study
for the state’s racing industry, and that
the NMHA is distributing a quarterly
newsletter to its membership.
Mr. Bingham added that the NMHA
supports the concept of mixed meets at
New Mexico tracks and the 60/40 (percent)
splits between Thoroughbred and
Quarter Horse races.
• Commission executive director Ismael
“Izzy” Trejo said that he attended
the opening-day program at SunRay
Park, which was held April 21. The
commission’s safety walk-through at
Ruidoso Downs, which he attended, was
held on May 8. On May 1, Mr. Trejo
conducted some interviews for the open
position of commission investigator.
Also, the commission’s equine disease
protocols were changed, effective
May 11. A health certificate for horses
traveling intra-state must have been
issued within the last 30 days. All health
certificates must be issued at the point
of origin for the horse; in the event
of an outbreak, the 72 hours will be
required for health certificates.
• New Mexico Horse Breeders’
Association president Ralph Vincent and
American Quarter Horse Association
chief racing officer Janet Van Bebber
both expressed concern to the
commission regarding the plans of two
76 New Mexico Horse Breeder