For the second time in less than a year, massive floods have led to the cancellation of the Ruidoso Downs race meeting in New Mexico.
On Tuesday, the track and its stable area were inundated with runoff from a massive rainstorm that struck mountains near the track. The flood was so severe that the racing surface and infield were covered in water. The single-story jockeys’ room, located on the infield, was flooded briefly to its roof line.
Track owner Johnny Trotter said Wednesday morning that the damage was too significant to continue the racing season.
“We can’t run at Ruidoso again this year,” he said in a brief interview. “We can’t put it back together.”
On Wednesday morning, track officials were holding meetings to discuss a course of action.
Last year, the final weeks of the Ruidoso Downs meeting were relocated to the Downs at Albuquerque where the $3 million All American Futurity was held away from Ruidoso Downs for the first time in history. The All American Futurity was first run in 1959.
Trotter said Wednesday that options include relocating the current meeting or returning nomination fees to owners.
“I’m still considering moving the All American,” he said.
The current Ruidoso Downs meeting, which consists entirely of Quarter Horse races, began May 23 and was scheduled to continue through Sept. 1. This weekend, there were five stakes scheduled in the Rainbow series, with purses ranging from $100,000 to $1 million for the Rainbow Futurity.
Tuesday’s flood was caused by a monsoonal storm that saw approximately 2 to 3 inches of rain fall in a short period of time in early afternoon over areas badly burned in a wildfire in June 2024.
The rainfall caused the normally tranquil Rio Ruidoso to crest at a record 20.2 feet, higher than the previous record of 15.8 feet set last year. The Rio Ruidoso runs through the track’s infield under two bridges on the track’s turns.
The river flooded the track so severely last July that water and mud covered the backstretch chute and first turn and flowed into the infield, causing damage to the winner’s circle, paddock, and jockeys’ room.
The flood on Tuesday was considerably worse, submerging those areas as well as a portion of the barn area adjacent to the final turn. Flood water later subsided in the barn area.
“It came and went pretty fast,” Trotter said of the flood.
The track’s infield underwent significant renovations in the last year to improve the flow of water following storms, including the installation of three massive culverts. The section of the infield where the Rio Ruidoso flows through the property was dredged and widened.
In recent weeks, the renovations helped the track avoid flooding after several major rainstorms. Tuesday’s storm was too severe. Videos on social-media websites showed fast-moving water flowing through the stable area and of horses standing in water in their stalls.
Ruidoso Downs is located southeast of the small village of Ruidoso. Video taken Tuesday of the Rio Ruidoso in the village showed widespread damage to homes by torrents of water. Cars were swept away by the flood.
Village officials announced late Tuesday that three people died in the flash flood – an adult male and two children. The statement said that emergency crews conducted “50 to 60” water rescues.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is scheduled to tour the Ruidoso area on Thursday.
In the stable area, some horses affected by the brief flood were relocated to stalls at a sales pavilion at a higher elevation on the track’s property.
“It was a pretty scary event” on Tuesday, trainer Marc Jungers said Wednesday morning.
“Last year, [the water] got up to the front of the barn, but never got into the barn.”
Jungers, whose barn is located near to the racetrack, said flood waters arrived too swiftly to immediately move horses.
“It happened so quick you couldn’t do anything,” he said. “You’re shocked. Is that really happening?
“The current was so strong we chose to shelter in place.”
Jungers said water levels reached knee-level for the horses.
“The horses just stood there like we were,” he said. “I knew they were safe. The water subsided and we were able to move everything.”
By nightfall, his 50-horse stable had been moved to the sales facility.
“The horses were in clean-bedded stalls last night and got checked out by the veterinarians,” he said.
“Everybody has been helpful getting us out of there. We had people helping we never met before. That’s the way mankind is. They help up when you need it.”
Jungers said his grooms “lost nearly everything they had – bedding and clothing.” He credited Ruidoso Downs chaplain Darrell Winter for assisting in the personal needs of stable staff.
“All the help got clean clothes,” he said.
Jungers said he plans to ship some horses to a training center in Tularosa, N.M., about 30 miles west of the track, so they can resume training soon.
Trainer Chris O’Dell was fortunate. Though his stable also was based adjacent to the track, the flood waters did not affect his horses.
“We got a little bit in the barn,” he said. “It was running three feet deep by both ends of my barn.
“It’s muddy as heck. It’s catastrophic.”
O’Dell said he was awaiting word from track management regarding racing in coming weeks. He said he plans to send some horses to Los Alamitos in California.
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