The misfortunes of June Noisy descents continued on June 29 when heavy rain in the area caused flooding on portions of the track, leading to the cancellation of Saturday’s final two Quarter Horse races and the postponement of the card from June 30 to July 1.
After wildfires prompted the evacuation of horses on June 18, the New Mexico Oval was undamaged. However, the surrounding area was devastated, causing flooding on Saturday.
“When you have fires and then you have heavy rains, there’s not a lot of vegetation to catch and absorb the water,” said New Mexico Racing Commission Executive Director Izzy Trejo.
The Ruidoso River runs through the center of the track, passing under the clubhouse bend, into the infield, under the far bend, and through the stables area. Flooding at the track is not uncommon, especially during the summer monsoon season. The severity of flooding varies by year.
Floodwater and debris overflowed as it traveled downriver and spilled onto the racetrack Saturday. Damage was limited primarily to the backstretch and clubhouse turn of the Thoroughbred track. The Quarter Horse straight, which is between the Thoroughbred track and the grandstand, was not affected.
Flooding in Ruidoso Downs
Ruidoso Downs is in the midst of its mixed Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse competition, which runs through September 2. Although the only races that were affected this weekend were for quarter horses, thoroughbred racing scheduled to resume on July 4 is in doubt.
“Quarter Horse racing could be suspended for a short time,” Trejo said. “The commission is considering having HISA come in and do some testing on the racing surface until we feel comfortable putting thoroughbreds out there.”
The Quarter Horse track joins the Thoroughbred track at the clubhouse turn, and flooding would affect Quarter Horses stopping 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,” Ruidoso General Manager Rick Baugh said in a statement. “We are working to make the track safe again following the flooding and believe we will be able to conduct Derby testing tomorrow.”
“We are working quickly to move forward with the repair of the tracks, but we must comply with government approval to pass environmental standards.”
According to Trejo, NMRC was not aware of any issues with the stable area’s infrastructure or the safety of the horses.