Downs at Albuquerque opens meet with large fields, new pick-four wagers

The Downs at Albuquerque has been riding a wave of momentum the last few years and on Friday night will open its 55-date meet with record stakes purses, large fields, and a new starter series that features New Mexico’s longest race for Thoroughbreds.

The Downs at Albuquerque, which races through Sept. 23, also is housing Jessies First Down, the two-time reigning world champion Quarter Horse.

Albuquerque’s racing program began building significant steam in 2014, when the track constructed a new casino. Albuquerque went from 300 slot machines in an 8,000 square-foot area on the third floor of its grandstand to a separate 30,000-square-foot facility ontrack that now has 640 slot machines, a large simulcast area for horseplayers, and a popular steakhouse.

“We doubled our slot machines, which in turn doubled our horsemen’s purses,” said Don Cook, president of racing for Albuquerque.

Albuquerque will have 23 stakes worth a total of $2.6 million during its meet, chief among them the $200,000 Downs at Albuquerque Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on Aug. 4 and the $300,000 Albuquerque Fall Championship, a 440-yard race for Quarter Horses on Sept. 23. The Championship, up in value from $250,000, has been awarded Grade 1 status this year for its fourth running and is expected to draw defending winner Jessies First Down.

Albuquerque will showcase its Championship over a closing weekend of seven stakes. The offerings include the meet’s richest race, the $400,000 New Mexico State Fair Quarter Horse Futurity on Sept. 22; the $200,000 New Mexico State Fair Thoroughbred Futurity for statebreds at six furlongs Sept. 23; and the $25,000 Claiming Stakes at 1 13/16 miles, which is the state’s longest race for Thoroughbreds.

“There’s $1.4 million over those two dates – that’s a lot of coin,” said Cook.

Cook said purses for the meet are projected to average $190,000 to $200,000 a program. The track announced it has drawn an average of 9.6 horses for the 15 Thoroughbred races to be run over the first three dates of the meet. For the same period, the track has averaged 11.4 horses for its 14 races for Quarter Horses.

Cook said that at the request of horseplayers, the wagering menu at this meet will include pick fours, which will have a 50-cent minimum. In other changes, upgrades were made to the track’s racing surface.

“We renovated the racetrack,” Cook said. “It’s always had a reputation as a horse-friendly track, and I think we stepped it up a notch this year.

“There’s a whole new cushion. A lot of sand, a lot of bark.”

Justin Evans, who won last year’s training title, is back for the new season, while Cook said that trainer Miguel Hernandez, who last year was based at Prairie Meadows, has returned with a stable for Judge Lanier Racing, a perennial leading owner in New Mexico.

Evans and Hernandez will square off in Friday night’s $50,000 Duke City Sprint for 3-year-olds over 5 1/2 furlongs. Evans sends out Istillgotit under Jansen Melancon, a new face from Louisiana, and Hernandez will counter with Sphene.

Cook said that Wednesday cards will be for Thoroughbreds only, while Albuquerque will have a mixed format on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. First post is 6:05 p.m. Mountain except Sundays, when the races start at 1:30. There is a special schedule during the state fair, when Albuquerque races 12 straight days from Sept. 5-16.