June misfortunes Ruidoso Downs continued on June 29 when heavy rain in the area caused flooding in parts of the track, causing the cancellation of Saturday’s final two Quarter Horse races and postponing the June 30 event to June 1. July.
The New Mexico football stadium escaped damage after a wildfire forced the evacuation of horses on June 18. However, the surrounding area was devastated, leading to flooding on Saturday.
“When you have fires and then heavy rains, there’s not a lot of vegetation to hold and absorb water,” said Izzy Trejo, executive director of the New Mexico Racing Commission.
Rio Ruidoso runs through the middle of the track; move under the clubhouse turn, into the courtyard, under the far turn and through the barn area. Flooding on railway tracks is not uncommon, especially during the summer monsoon season. The severity of flooding varies from year to year.
Floodwaters and debris overflowed their banks as they flowed downstream and onto the track on Saturday. Damage was largely limited to the Thoroughbred track’s straight and club bend. The Quarter Horse Straight, which lies between the Thoroughbred track and the grandstand, was unaffected.
Flooding in Ruidoso Downs
Ruidoso Downs is in the midst of mixed Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing, which runs until September 2. Although the only races affected this weekend are for Quarter Horse only, Thoroughbred races expected to resume on July 4 is still up in the air.
“Quarter horse racing may be suspended at short notice,” Trejo said. “The committee is looking forward to HISA coming in and doing some testing on the track surface until we feel comfortable putting the thoroughbreds out there.”
The Quarter Horse track joins the Thoroughbred track at the club turn and flooding will affect the Quarter Horse pull up after the race. Among the canceled races were Sunday’s trials for the Rainbow Derby.
“The safety of our athletes is always our top priority,” said Ruidoso general manager Rick Baugh. “We are working to ensure the safety of the track following the flooding and we are confident we will be able to proceed with Derby trials tomorrow.”
“We are working quickly to move forward with track repairs but must meet government approvals to exceed environmental standards.”
According to Trejo, NMRC has not been aware of any issues with the barn area’s infrastructure or the safety of the horses.
