Ruidoso Downs Now Under New Ownership

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If you are like me, a trip to Ruidoso is always something to enjoy. It's not too far away, it's easy to get to, and it can be great for a few days or a quick weekend trip. One of the big attractions to Ruidoso of course is Ruidoso Downs and horse racing.

And now, Ruidoso Downs is under new ownership.

The New Mexico Racing Commission approved Johnny Trotter as the new owner of Ruidoso Downs and the Billy the Kid Casino. According to Race Ruidoso, Trotter, who is from Texas, has been involved with the race track before and expects to make improvements to Ruidoso Downs.

A Texas businessman, cowboy and horseman, Trotter said, “Horses have been an important part of my life. Jana and I have enjoyed racing, buying and selling horses here for over 20 years. Ruidoso Downs is important to us. I am excited to be the sole owner, and I look forward to maintaining Ruidoso Downs and the horse sales as the pinnacle of horse racing. Nominations for 2023 futurities and derbies are strong, and we anticipate the yearling sales to continue as strong as ever.”

Trotter expects more great things to come for the property, its team and its events. “We have a great management team in place, and several improvements to the property and our programs currently are under consideration,” he said. “We are the home of the nation’s best racing and sales, both Ruidoso Select Yearling and New Mexico-Bred Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds. We have the nation’s best Racetrack Chaplaincy programs; and the nation’s best locations for racing, casino gaming and family fun. We look forward to providing a great venue for everybody at Ruidoso Downs.”

Ruidoso Downs is already a fun place to watch horse racing so I'm looking forward to seeing what improvements the new team puts in. It's an older facility that could use some love for sure.