HORSE RACING
$1M Rainbow Futurity brings rival track owners together
Two racetrack owners will cheer on their horses Sunday while united in keeping NM horse racing alive
The second leg of the quarter horse Triple Crown futurity series will have a little added spice for the owners of race tracks in Ruidoso and Albuquerque, who have come together as compadres to help the stricken southern New Mexico facility complete its season here.
On Sunday afternoon during the $1 million Rainbow Futurity, however, the two will be just a couple of racehorse owners rooting for their respective steeds at Albuquerque Downs Racetrack and Casino.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be fun,鈥� Albuquerque Downs owner Paul Blanchard said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l be sitting together. I鈥檓 sure we鈥檒l have somebody who鈥檚 going to have some bragging rights when it鈥檚 over but at this point in time, I鈥檓 not positive which one of us it will be.鈥�
This is the third consecutive year Ruidoso Downs Racetrack and Casino has been forced to move at least a portion of its schedule to Albuquerque, although this time around it鈥檚 for the entire season as Ruidoso鈥檚 facilities remain shuttered following the Salt and South Fork fires of 2024 and the ensuing flooding that year and in 2025.
The second-biggest weekend of Ruidoso鈥檚 quarter horse racing season begins Saturday, with the $100,000 Rainbow Invitational, the $350,000 Rainbow Oaks, and, for the first time ever at night, the $1 million Rainbow Derby. The $100,000 Rainbow Juvenile and the futurity follow on Sunday. Racing begins at 6:05 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
鈥淚t will be one of the biggest payouts in a single weekend, for sure,鈥� Blanchard said. 鈥淚n the sport of quarter horse racing, (the Rainbow Futurity) is there in the top six races. Maybe in the top three. It鈥檚 important for quarter horse racing.鈥�
Ruidoso鈥檚 quarter horse Triple Crown is the world鈥檚 richest and Blanchard said it was vital for the horse racing industry in New Mexico to keep the whole meet going.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e just been horrifically damaged with the fires and floods,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t would be too catastrophic for New Mexico to go without horse racing for four months. It would be devastating.鈥�
The economic food chain is vast, Blanchard pointed out.
鈥淰eterinarians, jockeys, horseshoers, groomers, alfalfa growers, breeders. The whole industry. It would be too devastating,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard on our people to run two meets, but we have to do it for the welfare of the industry.鈥�
And now Blanchard will be facing Ruidoso Downs owner Johnny Trotter across the track.
Trotter has two horses running in the futurity 鈥� Cartel Cowgirl 123 and Think Twice Perry.
鈥淲e鈥檒l have a little side bet on who runs it best knowing Paul and knowing me,鈥� Trotter said with a chuckle.
Cartel Cowgirl is coming off a serious bout of pneumonia at the beginning of the year, he said.
鈥淪he was real late getting back to where she could race,鈥� Trotter said. 鈥淭hey had to drain fluid off both lungs. That鈥檚 not good when you have to do that. She survived and hopefully it鈥檚 not going to affect her any.鈥�
It certainly didn鈥檛 seem to make a difference to Cartel Cowgirl in the first race of her career in the Rainbow trials last month. She looked so good that she鈥檚 going off at the third-best odds in the race.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 tell about horses,鈥� Trotter said. 鈥淪ometimes it works the other way. Sometimes their lungs can鈥檛 take that exhaustion. But she鈥檚 certainly got the will to win the way she performed the other day. She played at 30-1 and I didn鈥檛 have a bet on her. I was pretty excited about her, but I never dreamed about her doing that.鈥�
His other entry, Think Twice Perry, as well as Blanchard鈥檚 Greatest Ever are both slotted into the middle of the odds.
While winning would be nice, simply keeping the tradition alive makes it all worth it, Blanchard said.
鈥淚 do believe that Ruidoso is coming back and they do need to come back,鈥� he said. 鈥淩uidoso races need to be in Ruidoso. We鈥檝e just got help them figure out a way to get back and restructured.鈥�
