For the second time this summer, convoys of horse vans and trailers left Ruidoso Downs in southern New Mexico in recent days. In mid-June, there was rapid action to move horses away from the mountain track because of nearby forest fires. Most horses were back at Ruidoso Downs within a week. In recent days, horses left Ruidoso Downs this season again after track management abandoned the remainder of the meeting because of a series of massive floods that repeatedly damaged the racing surface. The remainder of the Ruidoso Downs meeting will be conducted 180 miles to the north at The Downs at Albuquerque, beginning Friday. The fires, which consumed more than 25,000 acres, led to a series of massive floods of water, mud, and debris from affected hillsides that caused widespread damage at Ruidoso Downs. Several floods since late June affected parts of the first turn and backstretch of the track. A major flood last Saturday was so severe that water and mud inundated parts of the racetrack as well as the infield jockeys’ room, paddock, and winner’s circle. A move to Albuquerque, which was discussed by state racing officials earlier this month, was made easier since the facility opened its racetrack for training in early July in advance of its late summer and fall meeting. :: Subscribe to the DRF Post Time Email Newsletter: Get the news you need to play today's races!  The Ruidoso at Albuquerque meeting will run through Sept. 2 with the same calendar of races scheduled for Ruidoso, including the $3 million All American Futurity for 2-year-old Quarter Horses at 440 yards. Albuquerque was scheduled to begin its meeting on Aug. 29. The Albuquerque season will continue through Oct. 27. This weekend, there are 12-race programs scheduled for Friday through Sunday, with the Saturday and Sunday programs led by several races that were scheduled for Ruidoso Downs last weekend. Saturday’s program is highlighted by the $750,000 Rainbow Derby for Quarter Horses at 440 yards, while Sunday’s richest races are the $368,451 Zia Quarter Horse Futurity for statebreds at 400 yards and the $350,000 Rainbow Oaks at 440 yards for 3-year-old fillies. There is an urgency to run the Rainbow Derby and Rainbow Oaks this weekend to allow those runners time to recover in advance of time trials for the All American Derby and All American Oaks on Aug. 11. The finals of those races are on Sept. 1. The move to Albuquerque will give Thoroughbreds much needed opportunities to race. From June 28 through last Saturday, Ruidoso Downs ran only seven Thoroughbred races compared to 128 Quarter Horse races. All the Thoroughbred races were sprints on a section of the course not affected by floods. By comparison, Ruidoso Downs ran 40 Thoroughbred races during a similar period in 2023. This weekend, there are four Thoroughbred races scheduled each day. Friday’s program is dominated by eight trials for the Ruidoso Juvenile for Quarter Horses. Many of the races on Saturday and Sunday are makeup races from last weekend’s cancellations, including two minor sprint stakes for Thoroughbreds. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.