flooding

New Mexico's Ruidoso Downs, beleaguered by flooding the last two years, will be unable to host a live meet in 2026 at the facility due to the potential for "life threatening" flooding from even moderate rainfall, according to a press release posted on the track's website. The story was first reported by the Paulick Report. The somber statement details findings from JE Fuller, an engineering firm, and discussions with state officials. Ruidoso's 2026 racing schedule will be hosted at the Downs at Albuquerque as the track assesses its future, with...

Catastrophic flash flooding struck the Ruidoso, New Mexico area Tuesday night, washing away homes and businesses and causing significant damage to Ruidoso Downs. Several feet of water submerged the track and backside area with social media videos showing people and horses alike trying to escape through the torrent. Local reports indicate the Rio Ruidoso river rose to over 20 feet in under an hour in a remarkable, record-breaking flood event, the second Ruidoso has seen in as many years in an area already impacted by wildfire burn scars. CNN reported...

Old Friends, the Thoroughbred retirement farm in Georgetown, Ky., held an online auction for halters worn by a pair of GI Kentucky Derby winners in Silver Charm and Giacomo. The proceeds, totaling $4,380, will be presented to the East Kentucky Dream Center for emergency flood relief to residents in Pike County, Ky. Online bidding for the Silver Charm halter was already underway when Dr. Jack Root of Oakhurst Equine in Oregon contacted the farm and generously donated Giacomo's halter to help. "Like so many others, Old Friends' supporters from within...

For the most part, Tampa Bay Downs survived Hurricane Milton relatively unscathed. According to Margo Flynn, the track's vice president of marketing, the grandstand suffered only minimal damage. Milton hit the west coast of Florida just a few weeks after the area was hit hard by Hurricane Helene. Milton made land fall at 8:30 p.m. in Siesta Key, Florida about 77 miles south of the track. The storm did not begin to subside until around 11:15. Flynn also reported that the main track and the turf course came through the...

After 20 inches of rain fell in Hallandale Beach, Florida Wednesday, Gulfstream Park officials have had to move around 300 horses from the lower barns, barns 1-11, as horses were standing in more than foot-deep water in their stalls. The horses are being moved to higher barns at Gulfstream and to the Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center, located north of Gulfstream in Boynton Beach, Florida. 1/ST Racing via a press release on Thursday said their Friday program would be cancelled. "We are in the process of moving the lower barn...

Storm Ciara has forced the abandonment of all three of Sunday's meetings in Britain and Ireland. Exeter was first to be called off, shortly before a scheduled 8 a.m. inspection, and then Southwell's all-weather meeting and Punchestown's Grand National Trial card followed around an hour later. Gales, forecast to continue throughout the day, put paid to Exeter and also Southwell. At Punchestown, it was initially hoped the high-profile fixture would survive--but after almost 30mm of further rain on Sunday morning, it was cancelled too. A Tweet from Exeter before 8...