Notable Ruidoso Downs Racing Events
- G1 $3,000,000 All American Futurity
- G1 $2,300,000 All American Derby
- G1 $1,000,000 Rainbow Futurity
- G1 $900,000 Rainbow Derby
- G1 $800,000 Ruidoso Derby
- G1 $750,000 Ruidoso Futurity
- G1 $200,000 All American Gold Cup
History of Horse Racing at Ruidoso Downs
Located at 7,000 feet in the mountains of central New Mexico, Ruidoso Downs has long been a sought after destination for Quarter Horse racing. Ruidoso Downs hosts a mixed meet of Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred racing from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. The track has the unique distinction of a seven furlong oval with a separate straightaway for Quarter Horses. Ruidoso has a place in racing history as the home of the first horse race for any breed with a million dollar purse: the All American Futurity, which was first held in 1959 and reached its landmark $1,000,000 purse in 1979. In 2015, the All American Futurity purse topped $3,000,000. Impressive purses and grade 1 events for open and New Mexico-bred horses alike have lured horsemen to “The Hill” for years, including trainers such as D. Wayne Lukas and Bob Baffert, who trained Quarter Horses at Ruidoso before becoming leading Thoroughbred trainers.
