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In the town of Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico, there is a horse racing track known as Ruidoso Downs. Throughbred and quarter horse racing are also held at this track, with the All American Futurity being the most lucrative race on the quarter horse racing circuit.
Ruidoso Downs History
The year 1947 marked the year when New Mexico made the practice of parimutuel wagering legal. Additionally, that same year, Hollywood Park was established as an informal racetrack along the Rio Ruidoso. A grandstand that was covered in canvas was constructed, and by 1949, Hollywood Park had gained the distinction of being the first track to host 870-yard races that put Thoroughbreds against Quarter Horses. Additionally, the oval at Hollywood Park measured 5/8ths of a mile. In addition, Hollywood Park was the first track in the Southwest to carry out a full film patrol, which included filming races from two different perspectives.
By 1953, the racetrack was no longer known as Ruidoso Downs, and Gene Hensley had become the majority shareholder in the company. Hensley was able to create the All American Futurity with the assistance of Carl Mercer, who was from California, and Ray Reed, who worked tirelessly to promote the product. With its inaugural competition in 1959, the All American Futurity became the most prestigious event in the world of Quarter Horse racing and established New Mexico as a prominent horse racing destination.
In the year 1986, Ruidoso Downs underwent a transformation that resulted in the establishment of the current 7/8ths-mile oval as well as a separate 550-yard chute for American Quarter Horse racing.
Within a short period of time after its addition in 1999, Billy the Kid Casino began making financial contributions to race purses, which ultimately assisted in ensuring the continued existence of Ruidoso Downs.
All American Futurity
Ruidoso Downs’ marquee event, the All American Futurity, is the Quarter Horse race that every owner, breeder, trainer, and jockey aspires to win. It is also the race that has the highest payout in the world.
Running over 440 yards on Labor Day, the All American Futurity has achieved its lofty stature thanks to the extraordinary financial cooperation that exists between the track and the horsemen. Ruidoso Downs makes a contribution of “added money” to the purse of the race, and then horse owners make payments to ensure that their young horses continue to be eligible for the race. Before the horse even competes in a race, a significant number of these payments come in.
Because of this arrangement, the All American Futurity became the first race in the world to be worth one million dollars for any breed of horse, and it also made it possible for the All American to become the first race in Quarter Horse racing to be worth two million dollars. With a prize of $2.4 million, the All American Futurity is now the richest race in North America for a two-year-old of any breed. This is the case regardless of the breed.
Ruidoso is the point of origin for both of the races that are considered to be the predecessors of the All American Futurity. A local watering hole known as the Central Bar & Grill was facing a challenge in terms of marketing in 1946. The proprietors of the business were unsure how they could promote the casino that was located in the rear room of the restaurant at a time when casinos were not authorized in the state of New Mexico. The solution was to organize a horse race and pay homage to the bar by naming it after it.
A model for a successful event that continued as the Ruidoso Futurity (a different race than the present Ruidoso Futurity) was left behind by the Central Bar & Grill Futurity, which was a prominent race until the early 1950s, when it disappeared. However, it did leave a blueprint for a race that was of great significance. When Go Man Go went down for the first time in the race in 1955, that early version of the Ruidoso Futurity garnered a lot of attention from people all over the world.
In the year 1953, Gene Hensley purchased the bulk of the shares in Ruidoso Downs and immediately began searching for innovative ways to promote the racetrack. Ruidoso Downs would undoubtedly be defined by the fact that it hosts the most lucrative race in the history of Quarter Horse racing. In collaboration with Carl Mercer, who had already established a prosperous future in Southern California, and Ray Reed, a musician and promoter from Ruidoso, Hensley established the All American Futurity. In 1959, when it was first run, the All American Futurity was the wealthiest race that had ever been held in the history of Quarter Horse racing. The purse for this race was $129,686. The winner of the race was the filly Galobar, who awarded Hugh Huntley and Newt Keck their first of three victories in the first five races of the competition. Galobar was the first of their three victories.
Off Track Betting Guides
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