Ruidoso Downs Horseracing
Ruidoso Downs was a horseracing track located just off Highway 70 West in Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico. It featured a slot gaming facility called Billy the Kid Casino.
The first race at Ruidoso Downs Race Track was run in 1947. Historically, live racing took place at the track each summer, beginning Memorial Day weekend and running through Labor Day, culminating with the running of the All-American Futurity. Simulcast wagering was also available every day in the Turf Club, which was located on the third floor of the Grandstand. In 1999, after New Mexico legalized slot machine casinos at racetracks, the Billy the Kid Casino opened its doors. The casino operated daily and housed over 300 slot machines, famously paying out over $115 million in winnings in 2004.
In January 2026, track officials and local leaders announced that Ruidoso Downs would permanently close its racing operations at the historic location due to severe and unsustainable flood risks. Following devastating wildfires and subsequent catastrophic flooding in July 2024 and July 2025, a state-commissioned hydrological study concluded that even moderate rainfall over the fire-scarred area posed life-threatening risks to spectators and horses. While the Billy the Kid Casino and the horse sales pavilion remained open, the legendary live racing meet and its iconic events, like the All-American Futurity, were permanently relocated to the Downs at Albuquerque.
Ruidoso Downs Records
| Distance | Horse | Time | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 220 yards | Three Runs | 11.82 | 7/23/1995 |
| 250 yards | Royal Strawfly | 12.93 | 9/3/2004 |
| 300 yards | Negro De Az | 15.19 | 8/26/2004 |
| 330 yards | Gch Byallmeans Magic | 16.40 | 8/5/2000 |
| 350 yards | Ab What A Runner | 17.05 | 7/19/2003 |
| 400 yards | Thewayouwantmetoo | 19.20 | 7/25/2004 |
| 440 yards | Snow Big Deal | 20.94 | 8/31/2003 |
| 550 yards | Heza Wicked Man | 26.41 | 6/16/2002 |
| 870 yards | Keep The Change | 44.26 | 7/13/1986 |
| 1000 yards | Make An Effort | 51.81 | 8/5/1989 |
| 2 ½ Furlongs | Crafty Number | 27.40 | 8/18/2001 |
| 4 ½ Furlongs | Professor Jones | 51.60 | 7/15/2005 |
| 5 Furlongs | Twilight Diamond | 56.30 | 7/17/2004 |
| 5 ½ | Furlongs Rocky Gulch | 1:02.4 | 8/1/2004 |
| 6 Furlongs* | Jack Wilson | 1:08.4 | 8/16/1992 |
| 6 Furlongs* | Ninety Nine Jack | 1:08.4 | 7/18/2004 |
| 7 ½ Furlongs | Caliban | 1:29.2 | 7/19/2003 |
| 1 Mile | Set Records | 1:37.0 | 7/28/1995 |
| 1 Mile | Strong Arm Robbery | 1:37.0 | 9/1/2001 |
| 1 1/16 | Mile Lucky Bluff | 1:43.2 | 9/2/2001 |
| 1 1/8 | Mile Brownburough | 1:51.2 | 6/28/1964 |
| 1 ¼ Mile | Pentelitiano | 2:07.3 | 9/1/2003 |
| 1 3/8 Mile | Start Jumping | 2:24.1 | 8/18/1990 |
| 1 ½ Mile | Decidedly Henry C | 2:37.0 | 8/19/1989 |
| 1 5/8 Mile | More Than Glory | 2:52.4 | 8/15/1992 |
*Tie