New Mexico governor orders stricter oversight of racing

The New Mexico State Racing Commission has been instructed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham “to take immediate action to get control over the industry you are charged with overseeing” after seven fatalities occurred during three days of time trials for major Quarter Horse stakes at Ruidoso Downs earlier this month.

In a strongly worded two-page letter sent to commission executives last Thursday, Grisham ordered policies be implemented at the state’s five racetracks to include pre-race evaluations, blood testing for all horses, the monitoring of horses in their stalls, preserving syringes used for medications for further testing, and requiring horses be based at the track in advance of leading races.

The correspondence occurred slightly more than a week before Ruidoso Downs hosts four major stakes on Sunday and Labor Day – the $1.19 million All American Derby and $714,734 All American Oaks on Sunday, and the $3 million All American Futurity and $250,000 All American Gold Cup on Labor Day.

The All American Futurity is Quarter Horse racing’s richest and most famous race.

Sandstone Mountain, a qualifier for the All American Futurity, died in the hours after a time trial on Aug. 11, a track official said. According to the state racing commission, the preliminary cause of death was external rhabdomyolysis. The National Institute of Health defines rhabdomyolysis as a muscle breakdown associated with strenuous exercise.

The expanded oversight in New Mexico comes during a year in which Thoroughbred racing has been heavily scrutinized after a series of fatalities at Churchill Downs in the spring and at Saratoga this summer.

Grisham’s letter stated that of the seven fatalities at Ruidoso Downs from Aug. 11-13, only one of the horses underwent a pre-race examination. The letter said there have been 642 horses euthanized at New Mexico tracks from 2014-22, which it cited as the sixth-highest figure in the nation during that span.

Grisham’s letter opened with the concern that the legacy of racing in New Mexico “has been utterly and irreparably tarnished by the widespread use of performance-enhancing drugs. While this Commission may not have created these problems, the Commission has completely failed to take proactive measures to fix or address the problems in any meaningful way.”

The commission was instructed by the governor to contact counterparts in states such as California, Kentucky, and New York for consultation “to get a better understanding of what best practices should be implemented to ensure horse racing in New Mexico is drug-free,” the letter stated.

“Let me be clear: this is not a request,” Grisham’s letter said. “I am directing you to act now.”

The racing commission called for an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss security and medication issues.

Earlier this month, Ruidoso Downs announced a widespread list of regulations regarding stable access, potential out-of-competition testing, and conduct for backstretch employees of stables with horses involved in the All American races.

Horses were required to be on the backstretch by Aug. 24, at least 10 days before the major stakes; trainers will be required to keep a register of any visitors to the barns; and all equipment will be subject to inspection. Other policies include no alcohol allowed in the stables, and no food permitted in shed rows.