Horseracing season resumes at Ruidoso Downs as Salt, South Fork fires no longer threaten immediate area

RUIDOSO DOWNS, New Mexico (KVIA) -- The 2024 race schedule has resumed at Ruidoso Downs Racetrack and Casino with the Rainbow Futurity Trials on Friday. With the nearby Salt and South Fork fires above 70 percent containment and main roads cleared and open Rick Baugh, general manager at the racetrack, says that race operations must continue.

"We had to get the wheels back on the bus," Baugh said. "Running these trials today has an effect on the industry. When I say industry, I mean the Quarter Horse industry from Oklahoma, Louisiana, California, Texas. So we had to get back in business and go, I've got a thousand employees here, and everybody's so excited to be back working and get back in the game."

Baugh says that beyond the business needs, continuing the racing season has a significant impact on the whole regional industry. There are many challenges with continuing operations, however. The racetrack has it's own separate water system which has allowed it to safely provide drinking water and restaurant operations, but services largely aren't available in the surrounding area.

"We've put a message out, Baugh said. "We're putting our first responders are all of the the whole community first. So we've told everyone, if you're going to come to the races, you're probably going to have to come here, go back to Roswell, go to Alamogordo. So they're reaping the rewards of all this. But, you know, we want to make sure that the community's taken care of."

The Rainbow Futurity Trials continue throught Sunday at Ruidoso Downs.