Ruidoso Downs Cancels 2026 Racing After Flood-Risk Report
Posted on: January 20, 2026, 11:18h.
Last updated on: January 20, 2026, 11:31h.
- Ruidoso Downs scraps 2026 meet after engineers flag flood risk
- July 2025 flash floods submerged barns, track; two horses died
- All American Futurity stays in Albuquerque; casino and sales continue
New Mexico’s Ruidoso Downs won’t host any live racing in 2026 after officials concluded the racetrack “faces serious and ongoing flooding risks that cannot be adequately addressed.”
The track has been closed since July 2025, when it was devastated by severe flash floods after torrential rain caused the Rio Ruidoso to swell to over 20 feet in under an hour. Floodwaters submerged the racing surface, infield, barns, and backstretch, with water at times deep enough to reach ceilings in the jockeys’ room.
Of roughly 1,800 horses stalled on the property, nearly all were evacuated to safety, although two died as a result of the flooding. The disaster forced the cancellation of the remainder of the 2025 racing meet at Ruidoso Downs, with the balance of the meet relocated to The Downs at Albuquerque.
‘Not Sustainable as Public Venue’
A January 15 meeting between racetrack and state officials reviewed an engineer’s report that concluded proposed measures to mitigate future flooding would be ineffective.
“Even moderate rainfall events – around two inches or more per hour – can overwhelm existing and planned drainage improvements intended to mitigate flooding risks at Ruidoso Downs,” according to the report, which concluded that the racetrack was “not sustainable as a public venue.”
The area is highly susceptible to flash flooding because of its mountainous terrain — a risk that has intensified since recent wildfires stripped away vegetation that normally absorbs rain and stabilizes soil.
When last July’s floods hit, the racetrack had only recently completed repairs on an estimated $30 million in damage caused by the previous summer’s deluge.
Two consecutive summers of flooding meant that the All American Futurity quarter-horse race, a flagship fixture at the racetrack since 1959, twice had to be moved to Albuquerque, where it will remain this year.
“We are deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of everyone who attends Ruidoso Downs Racetrack, and our equine athletes. Continuing operations at the current site of Ruidoso Downs Racetrack is not feasible,” the racetrack said in a statement, adding that this was “without question, the most challenging and emotional choice we have ever made as an organization.”
The adjoining Billy the Kid Casino, along with the sales pavilion events, will remain operational, even while live racing is suspended. Track officials said they’re currently assessing their next steps.
Industry Impact
The move is expected to have a significant knock-on effect on the local horse-racing economy, which relies heavily on the annual summer meet. Trainers, owners, grooms, and support workers who traditionally base themselves in Ruidoso will face higher travel and operating costs, while nearby farms, stables, veterinarians, farriers, hotels, and restaurants will lose a key seasonal boost.
The disruption to the All American Futurity, and prolonged uncertainty about when racing might return, has raised concerns about longer-term damage to the region’s standing within the quarter-horse racing industry.
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