Ruidoso Downs General Manager Rick Baugh and New Mexico Legislature District 56 Representative Harlan Vincent.

© Ruidoso Downs Race Track

RUIDOSO, NM–JUNE 24, 2024–In a video interview today, Tim Keithley gets an update on Ruidoso Downs from Ruidoso Downs General Manager Rick Baugh and New Mexico Legislature District 56 Representative Harlan Vincent.

This coming weekend, June 28-30, Ruidoso Downs Racetrack will host trials for the Rainbow Futurity(G1), Rainbow Derby(G1), and Rainbow Oaks(G1). Entering last Friday, 327 horses are set to compete in two days of trials Friday and Saturday for the $1-million Rainbow Futurity, with 17 races carded each day.

"We'll come back from this. We need to put the wheels back on the bus, and let's go to work," said Baugh. "We're ensuring they [crowds] understand first responders come first. We've talked to many of our season pass holders, who understand that their hotel rooms and so forth have been canceled, and responders come first. And they understand that. So, I really feel like Alamogordo and Roswell will reap the benefits because people can drive back and forth," Baugh says.

"Now is the time to kick our community back off and get the economic engine rolling again," New Mexico Legislature District 56  Representative Harlan Vincent said. "We are open for business. All our employees who had to evacuate were ready for you to come back and to put you back to work."

Baugh also announced that the Ruidoso Downs Racetrack would seed $20,000 to the Ruidoso Hall of Fame Foundation to begin raising money for the Lincon County Community Foundation to help the burn victims. 

"We have reached out to Track Magazine, Speedhorse, StallioneSearch, and AQHA to help us get out in front of this and do our best to raise a lot of money, not just now but throughout the summer," Baugh said.

CLICK THE ARROW BELOW  to watch the complete interview with Ruidoso Downs General Manager Rick Baugh and New Mexico Legislature District 56  Representative Harlan Vincent.