AMCCCCM published a letter to the public on Facebook stating that the Codere Group is determined to end horse racing at the Hipodromo de las Americas in Mexico City.

@ Miguel Espinozsa

MEXICO CITY, MEX–FEBRUARY 17, 2025–The Mexican Association of Quarter Horse Breeders and Horsemen (AMCCCCM A.C.) published a letter to the public on their Facebook page, expressing the concerns of the equestrian union at the Hipódromo de las Américas, an AQHA sanctioned track in Mexico City.

They state that the Codere Group, owner of the racetrack, is determined to end horse racing in Mexico City by not providing the appropriated funds for the 2025 racing meet. Thus, they do not have an official start date for the season.

The equestrian union consists of owners, riders, trainers, horsemen, and over 10,000 individuals who work in the racing industry.

According to the AMCCCCM letter, they state, "Despite having maintained a cooperative relationship with the concessionaire of the Hipódromo de las Américas for many years, we have learned that they intend to implement a stock market decline of over 20% for 2025 compared to the previous year.

This decision could seriously affect the income and standard of living of all workers who dedicate their efforts to this industry. Furthermore, the prize pool has not been updated in the last five years, and this delay has significantly reduced activity within the sector."

The AMCCCM went on to state, "In the various meetings with officials of the Spanish concessionaire company, they have made it clear to us that the more than 10,000 direct and indirect jobs generated by the activity are not of interest to them and are forcing those who, with their investment, support the activity, to stop participating because it is becoming completely unsustainable. It is important to add that, as of today, there is no official start date for the 2025 season.

To clarify, the prize pool refers to the total annual amount of money distributed throughout the racing season, allocated among each of the races. This amount is not determined by personal discretion; rather, it is based on the economic benefits generated by the activity. This directly impacts all workers in the industry, including riders, trainers, grooms, watchmen, veterinarians, blacksmiths, and others. A significant reduction in the prize pool would severely affect their income.

To ensure that the horses living in the Hippodrome can cover their maintenance costs (excluding medicines and other treatments), the prize pool must be 40% higher than what was distributed in 2024. The offer proposed by the Codere Group is unsustainable in covering the bare minimum of those costs.

According to the AMCCCCM, "Pertaining to the prize money cut, we want to make public that the entire equestrian union does not agree to participate in the offered purse and that we believe it should increase by at least 25%, an amount that would still be below the cost of maintaining the horses."

They continued, "We sincerely request that the authorities take the corresponding measures so that the concessionaire company complies with the conditions under which it was granted, which is nothing more than offering a quality live horse show and investing in the promotion of Mexican horse racing."

The AMCCCM hopes that making their problem public will alert the authorities to exercise their powers and put an end to the ordeal that the equestrian union faces every year.

CLICK HERE for the full letter in Spanish.

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