Horse trainers, competitors have economic worries if Sunland Park Racetrack shutdown lasts long

SUNLAND PARK, New Mexico -- The silence is deafening at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishman shutdown all casino and racetracks in New Mexico that were not on tribal land as of March 15, putting thousands of jobs around New Mexico on hold.

Fred Danley, a horse trainer who has worked for 54 years in the industry, is one of those affected.

"Nobody has any money to buy feed, feed the horses, pay for help. We are just out in the cold right now. We don’t know what to do,” said a frustrated Danley.

New Mexico State Rep. Candy Ezzell is a horse race competitor who shares in Danley's frustrations.

"Whenever you go to stop all these jobs that go on here - its putting all these people in the unemployment line,” she said.

Danley told ABC-7 that if the shutdown goes longer than two months he will be forced to sell horses.

“I would like for the governor to get off her butt and look at the racing industry and try to help people. She is putting some out of business," Danley added.  

The shutdown is scheduled to end on April 10 if health officials believe the coronavirus pandemic is contained.

The general manager of Sunland Park had a call he with the governor and said he'd reveal the contents of that discussion to ABC-7 on Wednesday.