Record purses for 17-day fall meet

The Downs at Albuquerque will open its fall meet for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses on Friday with a record purse structure. The track will run 17 consecutive dates through Sept. 27 in a season that complements the New Mexico State Fair.

Albuquerque officials are projecting purses will average $193,000 a program. The 11-race stakes schedule is worth $1.2 million and includes the $200,000 Camino Real Futurity, a six-furlong race restricted to 2-year-olds bred in New Mexico. It will be run Sept. 27 on a card of four stakes that also includes the $200,000 Downs Fall Quarter Horse Championship, which affords its winner a berth into the Grade 1, $350,000 Championship at Sunland Park on Dec. 27.

“This stakes schedule is the richest in the long history of our fall meet,” said Don Cook, director of racing at Albuquerque. “Our overnight purses will also be the highest we’ve ever offered in the fall.”

Purses during the 39-date spring meet at Albuquerque averaged a record $173,592 a card. Handle during the season was up 25 percent over last year, according to a release from Albuquerque.

The opener on Friday features five trial races for the $250,000 Downs at Albuquerque Quarter Horse Futurity. The horses with the 10 fastest times will advance to the finale Sept. 26. The race is a restricted Grade 3.

Post times at the meet will be 1:30 p.m. Mountain on Saturday and Sunday and 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

◗ Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M., opens a mixed meet on Saturday.