Quarter Horse trainer Cristian Alcala suspended at The Downs at Albuquerque
Quarter Horse trainer Cristian Alcala was summarily suspended by the board of stewards at The Downs at Albuquerque on July 23 after one of his horses died following a race at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico in May, and three others were vanned off, including one that required hospitalization, according to a recent ruling.
The summary suspension is in effect until a hearing is conducted between Alcala and the Albuquerque stewards on Friday.
Alcala did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment on Sunday afternoon.
On May 23, the Alcala-trained Hardtokatch won a division of the Ruidoso Derby trials, but collapsed and died after the race, according to New Mexico racing officials.
Roxette was vanned off after finishing sixth in a division of the Rainbow Futurity trials at Ruidoso Downs on June 27.
Through Saturday, Alcala ranked eighth among the nation’s Quarter Horse trainers with stable earnings of $876,202. Jason Olmstead led the list with $1,930,657.
This year, Alcala has won with 33 of 69 runners. At the Remington winter-spring meeting that ended on May 31, Alcala led Quarter Horse trainers with 24 wins from 49 starters, a 48.9 winning percentage.
Alcala’s most recent starter was Razor Hawk Cartel, who finished second in the $82,119 Speedhorse Derby at Fair Meadows Tulsa on July 19. Earlier that day, Kiss My Hat won the $34,000 Gillespie County Fair Association Dutchman Stakes in Texas.
The recent suspension is not a first for Alcala, 26.
In April 2023, Alcala was summarily suspended by Remington Park stewards for possession of contraband. He resumed training in June of that year, at the end of the Remington Park meeting, and had runners in summer 2023 at Fair Meadows Tulsa, Retama Park and Ruidoso Downs.
At Ruidoso in August 2023, the Alcala-trained As Moonflash won a division of the All American Futurity trials, earning a berth in the $200,000 All American Juvenile. As Moonflash did not start in the All American Juvenile, because of soreness, Alcala said earlier this year, and did not race again until May 2024, when she finished fifth in a division of the Heritage Place Derby trials at Remington Park for trainer Leonardo Alcala, Cristian's father.
As Moonflash was a minor stakes winner at Retama Park on July 3.
Earlier this year, several notable Quarter Horse trainers were summarily suspended or banned from training at a track, for medication violations found in their runners in 2024.
Toby Keeton and Heath Taylor were summarily suspended by New Mexico officials for violations in that state in 2024, while Juan Diaz Jr. was summarily suspended by Texas officials for 2024 violations.
At Los Alamitos in California, Monty Arrossa was banned from racing at the track after his stable had positive tests for banned medications in major futurities and time trials last fall.
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