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SunRay Park and Casino Thriving in The Four Corners Special report by Martha Claussen - The 2011 live Mixed Meet is off and running at SunRay Park and Casino in Farmington, N.M. Well before opening day on Saturday, April 23, improvements to both the facility and racetrack surface were a top priority. Lonnie Barber has served as director of racing at SunRay Park since 2004. He trained horses for 37 years before making the transition to racetrack management and is proud of the enhancements made for the opening of the 47-day meet. “We added new material on the track surface,” Barber said. “For the past two years, we have worked to find the right mix to ensure safety and handle moisture. The horsemen are happy with what we have done, and the surface has held up well to heavy rain. In the past, we may not have been able to run.” Other improvements have included an expansion of the jockey quarters and addition of a sauna for the riders. Two years ago SunRay Park opened a simulcast center called the Sports Arena, and recently two large banquet rooms were constructed to accommodate bigger crowds. Additional teller lines and large television screens were also added for the convenience of the patrons. Barber indicated that upgrades will be made each year to the complex which opened 28 years ago as San Juan Downs. Location and Tourism Boosts Attendance SunRay Park and Casino is located in the city of Farmington, boasting a population of 46,000. Renowned for its tourism and cultural attractions, the city is located in the Four Corners, is just 35 miles south of Durango, Colorado and close proximity to Arizona and Utah. "The Chamber of Commerce and the local media, including the newspaper and NBC affiliate have done a great job covering the opening of our meet," said Barber. "That was important to us as we went into the season not knowing what to expect due to the economy. Thankfully, we are holding our own." New Mexico Racing and Breeding SunRay Park is one of five licensed racetracks in New Mexico. SunRay Park and Casino hosts live racing from April 23 through July 12; Ruidoso Downs RaceTrack and Casino kicks off its meet on May 27 and closes with the running of the All American Futurity on Sept. 5; The Downs at Albuquerque’s dates are Aug. 13 through Nov 13; Zia Park and Black Gold Casino runs Sept. 10 through Dec 4, and Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino finishes the year with a meet that kicks off Dec. 10 and runs through April 19, 2012. Since 1961, the New Mexico Horse Breeders' Association has promoted the breeding and racing of American Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds in the state. Horses and agriculture are a deeply rooted tradition in New Mexico and the state proudly ranks seventh in the nation in the number of Thoroughbred stallions and mares bred and fourth for breeders of American Quarter Horses. The New Mexico Horse Breeders' Association oversees a legislative-mandated incentive fund created to foster the racing industry and promote New Mexico-breds worthy of competition on the national stage. Stakes Schedules Tops $1.4 Million
Both American
Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds can take aim at 23
stakes set for the 2011 SunRay Park meet with more
than $1.4 million in purses. A total of 11 Quarter
Horse stakes worth more than $720,000 will be
contested, including the 400-yard, $85,000 Four
Corners Senora Stakes (R) for New Mexico-bred
fillies and mares on May 1, the 350-yard,
$85,000-added New Mexico Breeders’ Futurity (RG3)
for state-bred 2-year-olds on June 5, and the
350-yard, $40,000-added Four Corners Futurity (G3)
on June 19. The Fourth of July holiday weekend
feature is the 400-yard, $85,000 Tommy “Duke” Smith
Handicap (RG3) New Mexico-breds on July 3. As a result of the generous daily purses and stakes, the field size has increased from an average of six per race in 2004 to a respectable 8.5 starters.
Trainer Justin Evans got off to a good start, saddling three winners over the opening weekend. The 29-year-old trainer was second in the standings in the 2010 SunRay Park meet and gives high marks overall to the racing office and facility. “The surface is great,” stated Evans. “Opening weekend had rain and very cold mornings, but I felt that the track was excellent, both in training and in the afternoon.” Evans, who hails from Arizona, has 16 New Mexico-breds in his barn and now makes SunRay, Sunland and Zia his circuit. All of the tracks have a Thoroughbred-Quarter Horse mixed meet, but Evans gets enough races to run his stock. “They try really hard to write races,” acknowledges Evans. “Lonnie is out there every morning and hustles to do his best for everyone.” This is the second year that Evans has set up shop at SunRay Park, and he and the other horsemen are appreciative of the improvements made for the 2011 season. “They don't have a lot of room, but they try to make the best with what they have,” Evans said. Trainer Ty Garrett had a rewarding opening weekend experience, saddling Shivers Me, the winner of the $50,000 Inaugural Handicap. Returning off a five-month layoff, the Idaho-bred 5-year-old stalked the pacesetters, and closed down the lane to capture the 6 1/2 furlong stakes in 1:17.47 with jockey Vernon Scantling in the irons.
Shivers Me has
shipped well in the past and won stakes at The Downs
at Albuquerque, and Arapahoe Park, before running at
SunRay Park. Solid Numbers for Opening Weekend Barber was pleased with both the opening weekend attendance and handle. “We had a good crowd for both Saturday and Sunday,” he said. “Some of the California tracks took our signal, which accounted for a handle of $231,000 on April 24. We are always pleased when our handle tops the $200,000 mark.” SunRay Park will offer live racing Saturdays through Tuesdays through July 12. Post time is set for 1 p.m. daily. For more information on the upcoming racing and special events, visit www.sunraygaming.com
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- photo by Coady Photography
