Statement from Mayor Lynn Crawford Regarding the Relocation of Ruidoso Downs Race Track 2026 Meet

“It is with deep disappointment that I must announce that Ruidoso Downs Race Track will not be able to host the 2026 racing season. The devastating flood events of 2025 caused significant damage to critical track infrastructure, and despite the tireless efforts of repair crews and stakeholders. The 2026 meet will be run at the Downs at Albuquerque and the 2026 New Mexico Bred Sale and the 2026 Super Select Sale will still be held at the Ruidoso Downs Sales Pavilion. The Billy the Kid Casino will also be operational during this time.

This news is heartbreaking for our entire community. Ruidoso Downs Race Track is far more than a venue; it is woven into the very fabric of our region’s identity and economy. For generations, the thundering hooves of champion quarter horses have drawn visitors from across the nation to our mountain community. The track generates vital revenue for local businesses, provides hundreds of jobs, and brings the world’s finest horsemen and women to our doorstep each summer.

The Village of Ruidoso, Ruidoso Downs Race Track management, Lincoln County, state officials, and community stakeholders are unified in our commitment to bringing championship quarter horse racing back to Ruidoso for the 2027 season. We are already coordinating recovery efforts, identifying funding sources, and developing an aggressive timeline to ensure that every necessary repair is completed well ahead of Memorial Day 2027.

I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Johnny and Jana Trotter and Rick Baugh for their tireless efforts over the past two years to keep the track operational. Their dedication, commitment, and passion for preserving this vital part of our community have been nothing short of extraordinary.

Our community has faced unprecedented challenges over the past year, yet time and again we have demonstrated our resilience. We rose from the ashes of the South Fork and Salt Fires, and we are rebuilding after devastating floods. We will all continue recovery efforts, and we will persevere.

To our racing families, horsemen, visitors, and fans: we miss you already, and we are working every single day to welcome you back in 2027. Ruidoso remains open, our community remains strong, and our commitment to the sport of quarter horse racing remains unwavering.”