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Loss of Ruidoso race track could be devastating
by Midland Reporter-Telegram
You can imagine the explosion of emotion that surged through the New Mexico tourist village of Ruidoso last week when the Ruidoso News released a story that said the future of the Ruidoso Downs racetrack could be in jeopardy.
The racetrack has been a fixture of this mountain community for 62 years, bringing tourists and their dollars into the local economy. Trying to feature Ruidoso without horse racing in the summer months is almost unimaginable.
But evidently that is a possibility. The local newspaper broke the story, saying, "R.D. Hubbard, who leases the track from the Fountain Miller family, says that under certain circumstances, he could envision moving the operation elsewhere."
Hubbard said he has been looking at alternative sites, and the El Paso Times said Hubbard had at least looked at a possible site in Las Cruces, N.M. Las Cruces, which has about 90,000 residents and where Interstates 10 and 25 meet, is about 115 miles to the southwest of Ruidoso and only 50 miles from Sunland Park, just across the state line from El Paso.
It's hard to say just how serious Hubbard is about moving his racing operations, but he is at least to the point of considering the possibility. His track and casino are losing money, facing stiff competition from two tribal casinos in the immediate area. The Mescalero Apache tribe has a casino at its Inn of the Mountain Gods resort and another in a travel center on U.S. 70 within about five miles of the track.
Hubbard would like to use these financial problems to get a more favorable tax break from the state to make his operation more competitive with tribal casinos. That legislation passed the New Mexico House of Representatives in the 2008 session but died in the Senate.
Certainly this move is tied to profitability of the track and casino at Ruidoso Downs and to potential legislation that New Mexico might enact or not, but it is clear that if such a move is made, it would be devastating to the community that depends heavily on the tourist dollar and dollars from the racing industry.
Also, the loss of the racetrack also might affect many Midlanders who have second homes in Ruidoso. Many of these homes are partially financed by renting them when they are not in use. The loss of racing could cripple that practice and send property values in the Ruidoso area plummeting.
In our view, that would not be in the best interest of Ruidoso or West Texas, so we hope a positive solution is found that will keep horse racing at Ruidoso Downs.
The racetrack has been a fixture of this mountain community for 62 years, bringing tourists and their dollars into the local economy. Trying to feature Ruidoso without horse racing in the summer months is almost unimaginable.
But evidently that is a possibility. The local newspaper broke the story, saying, "R.D. Hubbard, who leases the track from the Fountain Miller family, says that under certain circumstances, he could envision moving the operation elsewhere."
Hubbard said he has been looking at alternative sites, and the El Paso Times said Hubbard had at least looked at a possible site in Las Cruces, N.M. Las Cruces, which has about 90,000 residents and where Interstates 10 and 25 meet, is about 115 miles to the southwest of Ruidoso and only 50 miles from Sunland Park, just across the state line from El Paso.
It's hard to say just how serious Hubbard is about moving his racing operations, but he is at least to the point of considering the possibility. His track and casino are losing money, facing stiff competition from two tribal casinos in the immediate area. The Mescalero Apache tribe has a casino at its Inn of the Mountain Gods resort and another in a travel center on U.S. 70 within about five miles of the track.
Hubbard would like to use these financial problems to get a more favorable tax break from the state to make his operation more competitive with tribal casinos. That legislation passed the New Mexico House of Representatives in the 2008 session but died in the Senate.
Certainly this move is tied to profitability of the track and casino at Ruidoso Downs and to potential legislation that New Mexico might enact or not, but it is clear that if such a move is made, it would be devastating to the community that depends heavily on the tourist dollar and dollars from the racing industry.
Also, the loss of the racetrack also might affect many Midlanders who have second homes in Ruidoso. Many of these homes are partially financed by renting them when they are not in use. The loss of racing could cripple that practice and send property values in the Ruidoso area plummeting.
In our view, that would not be in the best interest of Ruidoso or West Texas, so we hope a positive solution is found that will keep horse racing at Ruidoso Downs.
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of mywesttexas.com.
megan wrote on Jul 3, 2008 4:47 PM:
" i think that we skould be able to have and pop fire-works. we have not had them for a while and i think that it is time for us to have them now. it's one time for a year it's one day out of a whole year.whats one day going to hurt. come on let us have some fun!!! "
Amber wrote on Aug 21, 2008 10:43 AM:
" Exactly college presidents should know better!!! I am 25 years old and is doesn't matter what age you are alcohol consumes many of the people I know and there ages range from
25-32....Maybe the punishment for drinking and driving should be worse. When I was 18 I had no buisness drinking...this is just crazy!!! "
25-32....Maybe the punishment for drinking and driving should be worse. When I was 18 I had no buisness drinking...this is just crazy!!! "
bi-polar stu wrote on Feb 5, 2009 8:17 AM:
" "... it's now HIGH TIME that Michael Phelps grows up."
HAR HAR!! high time.....HAR HAR!! "
HAR HAR!! high time.....HAR HAR!! "
Kristin wrote on Feb 10, 2009 9:42 AM:
" Really, it's no one's business as to what he puts into his body. "
bi-polar stu wrote on Feb 12, 2009 8:24 AM:
" Got a life, thanks. And if Conneticut wants to name anything after the shrubs, let them. But they are not from here in Texas and I don't think we need to name anything after them. "
desertowl wrote on Feb 12, 2009 4:32 PM:
" Lincoln's birthday and this is the best topic for an editorial! Oh, well. "
drjkapp wrote on Feb 17, 2009 4:44 PM:
" Now someone suggests the courthouse be named after a mass murderer and a war criminal? Sounds a bit ironic to me! "
C.R. wrote on Mar 3, 2009 8:57 AM:
" this months water bills gives information as to who to call when you see water wasted.
example, water running down the curbs for blocks from sprinklers.
i have called the city 3 different times on one location that has water running from powell to nearly andrews highway on illinois. either midland is getting really rich from the fines they are imposing on this address or midland is not doing anything about the reports of the water being wasted.
if you don't see a change it makes you think the city is really not doing anything about the reports of wasted water.
was it just all talk and no action in his speech? "
example, water running down the curbs for blocks from sprinklers.
i have called the city 3 different times on one location that has water running from powell to nearly andrews highway on illinois. either midland is getting really rich from the fines they are imposing on this address or midland is not doing anything about the reports of the water being wasted.
if you don't see a change it makes you think the city is really not doing anything about the reports of wasted water.
was it just all talk and no action in his speech? "
J.K. wrote on Mar 3, 2009 9:35 AM:
" I do not want to see anything named after the shrub either.
That yankee shrub had no problem sending our boys and girls off to war.
He had no problem with the news showing happy reunions when a soldier returned to his family.
BUT THIS LITTLE SHRUB WOULD NOT ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO SEE THE BRAVE SOLDIERS THAT LAID THEIR LIVES DOWN FOR AMERICA AND FOR A COUNTRY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GLOBE,.
We all owed those brave soldiers that one last honor of seeing them come home to Dover Airforce Base. We owed them the respect of quietly observing their returns in a casket. If it were only over the evening news.
But the little shrub refused them that last honor from the public.
I do not want to see anything named after a yankee shrub. "
That yankee shrub had no problem sending our boys and girls off to war.
He had no problem with the news showing happy reunions when a soldier returned to his family.
BUT THIS LITTLE SHRUB WOULD NOT ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO SEE THE BRAVE SOLDIERS THAT LAID THEIR LIVES DOWN FOR AMERICA AND FOR A COUNTRY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GLOBE,.
We all owed those brave soldiers that one last honor of seeing them come home to Dover Airforce Base. We owed them the respect of quietly observing their returns in a casket. If it were only over the evening news.
But the little shrub refused them that last honor from the public.
I do not want to see anything named after a yankee shrub. "
Question wrote on Mar 12, 2009 1:02 AM:
" I think the comments are from older posts, and somehow got in with these. You can tell by the dates. "
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Lauren wrote on Jun 13, 2008 8:35 PM:
Watch this video. McCain's next VP. "