Open Letter to the Governor
New Mexico Horsemen’s Association
217 Palomas, NE
Albuquerque, NM
87108
505.266.7056
505.266.0643 (Fax)
June 22, 2009
OPEN LETTER TO:
GOVERNOR BILL RICHARDSON
Office of the Governor
State Capitol Building, Suite
400
Santa Fe, NM 87503
Re: Horseracing Dates for
2010
Honorable Governor
Richardson:
Three New Mexico Racetracks
have proposed a significant cut to their race days for 2010 over 2009. The tracks are: The Downs at Albuquerque,
which is proposing a race date cut of 15 days from the days that they will run
in 2009 (42 in 2009 to 27 in 2010); Ruidoso Downs, which is proposing to cut 14
days from days to be run this year to those proposed for 2010 (63 in 2009 to 49
in 2010) and ZIA Park which is proposing to run 4 less days than they are
scheduled to run in 2009 (57 in 2009 to 54 in 2010).
A total cut of 33 days from
the races dates calendared for 2009 has been proposed by the tracks for 2010.
If these race day cuts are granted by the New Mexico Racing Commission there
will be approximately 330 fewer races run in 2010 than in 2009. This will mean
a reduction of 3,300 horse starts in 2010 as opposed to 2009. These drastic cuts in race days (amounting to
more than a 10% reduction of the racing calendar in 2009) will severely impact
our owners, trainers, their employees and the thousands of folks based in New
Mexico who depend on racing in New Mexico to make a living. In addition, the
race date cuts, if approved, will negatively impact tourism in this state as
well as the state’s bottom line, as less para-mutual and other taxes will be
generated as a result. Indeed, even the
vaunted quarter horse Triple Crown series that is run annually at Ruidoso Downs
may be negatively impacted by the severely shortened race meet that has been
proposed.
The race tracks that have
requested the race date cuts will be the sole beneficiaries from the proposed
reduction of race dates as they will save money against their bottom line by
shortening their race meet. These savings will, however, be quickly offset by the
negative impact on the Horsemen and others who work at the tracks and in the
communities where the race tracks are located. In those communities, horse
feed, bedding, vet supplies and services, gasoline, diesel and other supplies
and necessities are purchased in large quantities.
In sum, there will be few
winners- the owners of the three racetracks who have requested less days for
2010-and many losers, including the Horsemen who race in New Mexico.
In 2007 at the Legislative
Finance Committee meeting held in Ruidoso,
the Honorable Representative Ben Lujan informed the audience present
that the reason that gaming at racetracks was passed in New Mexico was to
ensure that a vital part of the State’s economy and heritage, namely the racing
and breeding of race horses, would not become extinct. Cutting race dates diminishes the industries
of horse racing and horse breeding in New Mexico. We ask that you and the New
Mexico Racing Commission consider this letter favorably, as the Commission acts
on the requests of the race tracks for race date cuts in 2010.
Sincerely,
Pat Bingham
Executive Director, New
Mexico Horsemen’s Association
Cc: New Mexico Racing
Commission
Legislators of the State Of New Mexico
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