Ruidoso Downs Relocates 2026 Meet to Albuquerque After Devastating Flood Damage

Flood damage has permanently altered the summer racing calendar in New Mexico. Ruidoso Downs confirmed it will relocate its entire 2026 race meet to the Downs of Albuquerque, opening a 49-day mixed Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse program on Friday, May 22, and running Fridays through Sundays through Labor Day, September 7.

The move follows a January 15 trip to Santa Fe where owner Johnny Trotter, General Manager Rick Baugh, and Village of Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford met with state officials to explore flood mitigation options. What they heard was unambiguous. "It is now clear that, even with proposed on-site and off-site flood mitigation work upstream, Ruidoso Downs racetrack cannot be adequately protected from future flooding," the track stated in a news release. Ruidoso had already announced the facility is not a sustainable public venue "now or for many years to come" due to flood risks, and the All American Futurity had been displaced to Albuquerque the previous two summers following wildfire damage and flooding caused by burn scarring.

The 2026 meet will mark the third consecutive season the Downs of Albuquerque hosts the estimated $3 million All American Quarter Horse Futurity, which will be contested at 440 yards on Labor Day. That card also includes the $250,000 All American Q.H. Gold Cup and the $200,000 All American Q.H. Juvenile, both at 440 yards. Approximately 600 quarter horses have already been nominated for the All American trials, scheduled for August 7-8. The meet opens with trials for the $1 million Ruidoso Futurity for two-year-old quarter horses, with the Futurity itself set for June 7 at 350 yards. The $850,000 estimated Ruidoso Q.H. Derby runs June 6 at 400 yards. Early stakes action includes the $45,000-added John Andreini Q.H. Stakes on May 25 and the $50,000-added Jess Burner Q.H. Stakes on May 30. The full stakes schedule remains pending approval by the New Mexico Racing Commission, which is expected to consider the dates at its March 19 meeting.

Ruidoso Downs marketing director Tim Keithley broke down the schedule by month: seven race days in May, 12 in June, 13 in July, 14 in August, and three in September, totaling the 49-day program. Downs of Albuquerque President of Racing Don Cook confirmed all races will run at night. Cook described the logistical challenge bluntly: the Downs will be running two meets back-to-back, totaling 79 race dates across both its relocated Ruidoso program and its normal fall meet. The track has hosted individual displaced races from Ruidoso in recent years, but has not absorbed a full months-long summer schedule simultaneously with its own fall programming.

The barn area at the Downs of Albuquerque is scheduled to open for horses and trainers on April 22. "The Downs of Albuquerque is currently accepting stall applications," Cook said. "The condition book for the first two weeks of racing and the 2026 stakes schedule will be available at the end of the month at abqdowns.com, and raceruidoso.com. We invite all horsemen to make plans to participate."

Not everything leaves Ruidoso. Both annual horse sales will remain at the Ruidoso Downs Horse Sales Pavilion: the New Mexico-bred Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred Yearling Sale on August 15, and the All American Select Sale on September 4-5. The Billy the Kid Casino at Ruidoso Downs will also stay open Thursdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., throughout the Albuquerque meet.

The NMRC's March 19 decision will be the next formal checkpoint before the May 22 opener.