The New Mexico Legislature ended their 2009 session on March 21. The following bills affecting horse racing in New Mexico were passed:

HJR 19 Albuquerque Downs Lease Extension

Proposes to extend the lease between the New Mexico State Fair and The Downs of Albuquerque for the racetrack, grandstand, and casino area of the state fairgrounds until January 11, 2011, with an option to extend the lease an additional year to January of 2012.

HB 567 Farm and Ranch License Plate

Authorizes the Motor Vehicle Division to issue a special registration plate with appropriate logo commemorating New Mexico’s farm and ranch community. The annual fee for the plate would be $35 in addition to the regular MVD registration fee. Revenue from the sale of the special plate would be distributed as follows: $10 retained by MVD for the cost of making and issuing the plate, and $25 to the Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum for educational Programs.

SB 127 Security Bonds in Animal Cruelty Cases

Provides for payment of costs for animals seized in cruelty cases.

SB 229 Gaming Control Act Revisions

Proposes numerous changes to the Gaming Control Act to tighten supervision, help problem gamblers and modernize the Child Support Enforcement Agency’s offset process against gambling winnings over $1,200.

Our thanks to the NMHA Lobbyist John Lee Thompson and his assistant Hadley Harper for all of their hard work in monitoring these bills.

Sunland Derby

Sunland Park will be holding the Sunland Derby on March 29^th. This exciting event is going to feature a number of very talented horses. Some entries may include the Bob Baffert trained Mayor Marv and Mythical Power, Mike Machowsky’s Kelly Leak, and Doug O’Neill’s Mark S the Cooler. The purse is a rich $800,000 with a new bonus structure, in which the winner receives a $200,000 bonus, and if the horse is a previous graded earner, there will be an added bonus of $100,000. The evening of March 28^th, the day before the Derby, there will be a gala benefitting the United Blood Services. The event will be hosted by NBA Hall of Famer Bill Russel. A painting of the record breaking New Mexico mare Peppers Pride will be unveiled by artist Fred Stone. For more information, contact Sunland Park at (575)874-5200, or visit their website at http://www.sunland-park.com.