New Mexico toughens stance on clenbuterol

The New Mexico Racing Commission has announced the bronchodilator clenbuterol will now be regarded as a Class 3 controlled substance in the state in a move that enables criminal prosecution of horsemen found to be illegally in possession of the drug. The agency worked with the New Mexico Board of Pharmacy on the controlled substance designation, according to Izzy Trejo, executive director of the New Mexico Racing Commission.

“There are still a small handful of horsemen out there that did not seem to get the memo that New Mexico has a permitted level of zero when it comes to clenbuterol,” Trejo said in a press release.

Positive tests for clenbuterol in New Mexico numbered 85 in 2015, according to the press release, but dropped to 51 in 2017.

Smith, trials at Ruidoso Downs

Ruidoso Downs will feature trial races for three consecutive cards starting Friday, and on Sunday will close out the weekend by welcoming Triple Crown-winning jockey Mike Smith home to his native New Mexico. Smith will be in from his Southern California base to sign posters to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.

The trials Friday and Saturday will be for the Grade 1, $1 million Rainbow Futurity for Quarter Horses, with 14 trials on each program. There were a total of 276 entrants in the trials – led by Ruidoso Futurity winner Blue Corazon – with all gunning for the 10 spots in the finale July 22. The five fastest qualifiers from each card will advance to the Rainbow. There are nine trials Sunday for the $801,564 Rainbow Derby, with the card drawing Ruidoso Derby winner Jess Move You.

◗ The Downs at Albuquerque in New Mexico announced it handled $857,874 on its three-day opening weekend from all sources, a 37 percent increase from the corresponding dates in 2017. Albuquerque averaged 8.9 horses per Thoroughbred race and 9.3 horses per Quarter Horse race from last Friday night through Sunday.