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20-531: It also hosts the Grade I All American Derby in early September, which carries a purse of $ 1,200,000 and was won in 2023 by the Missouri-bred gelding Whiskey Creek. After a flood covered fields in gravel and silt in the small village of Ruidoso Downs, an informal race track was built on the fields in the 1940s. Bets varied from as "little as a bag of oats or $ 10,000 to $ 50,000 was being bet." A rodeo stand

40-639: A horse racing venue is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Graded stakes race A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level (I, II, III or listed) is then assigned to the race, based on statistical analysis of

60-416: A racetrack may offer a high purse to attract better fields so the race will be upgraded in future years. The grade level is assigned by looking at data that indicates quality of the field for the last five years. In order to achieve or maintain a Grade I, it is necessary to attract a competitive field over a number of years. For graded turf races, track conditions (normally excessive rain) may sometimes force

80-423: A similar method, leading to the development of the graded stakes system by TOBA in 1973. The first list of North American Graded Stakes was published in 1974. The original purpose of grading was to identify the most competitive races, which helps horsemen make comparisons of the relative quality of bloodstock for breeding and sales purposes. When the race-grading program was being set up for its 1973 introduction by

100-487: Is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to California-bred horses age four and older and contested on dirt at a distance of 1 Mile (8 furlongs ). It has been run in late May at Santa Anita Park since 2014. Previously, it was held at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California , where it was run on Cushion Track synthetic dirt at 7 + 1 ⁄ 2 furlongs. The race is named for Hall of Famer Tiznow ,

120-473: Is held. The facilities have also housed camel and ostrich races, as well as concerts by artists such as Toby Keith and Emilio Navaira . An adjacent casino was opened by the Hubbards in 1999. The 1937 Kentucky Derby trophy won by War Admiral is typically kept on display at Ruidoso Downs. In 2024 Ruidoso Downs was affected by a number of natural disasters . In June of that year, the city of Ruidoso Downs

140-411: The horseshoe , designed to improve traction, be no longer than 2 millimeters. This was in response to studies by Susan Stover showing that such toe grabs substantially increase the risk of catastrophic racing injuries. Recently, racing officials have also banned the use of furosemide (Lasix) in all Black Type races, which include graded and listed stakes races. A newly established race may inherit

160-763: The American Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association it was done so as to match the data formatting in use by the British system being Grade I, Grade II, Grade III. However, the advent of the Internet meant that format would eventually be mostly abandoned in favor of G1, G2, G3. Used by TOBA itself, and most significantly by Equibase Company LLC that is the official supplier of racing information and statistics to America's Best Racing , Breeders' Cup , Daily Racing Form , NTRA , The Jockey Club , TRA, TVG , and Xpressbet . A notable exception to

180-580: The United States and Canada, a graded race can be dormant for one year without losing its grade. The following races have been downgraded from Grade I status since 2010: The Donn Handicap was discontinued after its 2016 edition; its Grade I status was transferred to the Pegasus World Cup , which held its first edition in 2017 The following races have been upgraded to Grade I status since 2010: Tiznow Stakes The Tiznow Stakes

200-441: The change in format being the three New York Racing Association tracks. Fasig-Tipto began including grading information in 1975, Keeneland Association in 1976, and Daily Racing Form in 1978. In 1998, Canada began to grade Canadian races independently. Listed stakes were first added as a level in 2013. The American Graded Stakes Committee grades only races that: In 2008, the committee began requiring that toe grabs on

220-492: The graded status of a discontinued race if it is held at the same facility under essentially identical conditions as the discontinued race. For example, the inaugural running of the Pegasus World Cup in January 2017 was Grade I, inheriting the status of the discontinued Donn Handicap . There are four grade levels, from Listed at the bottom to Grade I at the top. The latter are higher-class races for bigger prizes for horses of

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240-513: The majority of Ruidoso Downs Race Track was purchased by R.D. Hubbard . Though the track had fallen into disrepair, within a year Hubbard and a business partner invested several million dollars into improving the track. 1989 also saw the addition of simulcast racing and wagering, while Hubbard bought out Allred in 1991. Soon a sales pavilion and sports theatre were constructed, which is where the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale

260-464: The number and grade of a horse's stakes wins during the year. In general, stakes race refers to the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay, which generally forms part of the prize money offered to the top finishers. Not all stakes races are eligible for grading. Notably, races that are restricted to horses bred in a specific state (e.g., the Tiznow Stakes for California-breds) or country (e.g.,

280-644: The quality of the field in previous years, provided the race meets the minimum purse criteria for the grade in question. In Canada, a similar grading system is maintained by the Jockey Club of Canada . Graded stakes races are similar to Group races in Europe but the grading is more dynamic in North America. A high grading can also be used by racetracks to promote the race in question. When determining Eclipse Award winners, racing journalists will consider

300-421: The race to be run on the main (dirt) track. If this happens, the race is automatically downgraded by one grade level for that running only. The Committee then reviews the race within five days and may restore the original grade. For example, a Grade I turf race that is switched to the dirt will be recorded as a Grade II race, unless the committee feels the quality of the race was sufficient to warrant Grade I. In

320-586: The races that make up the Canadian Triple Crown , all restricted to Canadian-breds) are excluded, regardless of the purse or quality of field. Conversely, some races that are not technically stakes races (usually invitational races where entry fees are not required by the racetrack) may be eligible for grading if they meet the quality standards. European authorities implemented the Pattern race system in 1972 and requested that North America implement

340-477: The same age and sex). Furthermore, there are "conditions" races, in which horses carry weights that are set by conditions, such as having won a certain number of races, or races of a certain value. Finally, some graded stakes are " handicaps ", in which an official handicapper assigns weights to each horse in an attempt to equalize the competition. All Grade I races must have a purse of at least $ 300,000, but not all races with such high purses are Grade I. For example,

360-402: The same age group (2, 3 or 3 and up) and may further be restricted by sex. The weight conditions of the races may vary provided they meet the committee's standards to ensure competitiveness. Many grade I races are " weight-for-age ", with weights adjusted only according to age and sex, and also there are "set weights" where all horses carry the same weight (usually applicable when all horses are of

380-710: Was evacuated due to two wildfires . The track was then hit by several storms in the month that followed, causing heavy rain and flooding. On July 21, the day after flooding washed out part of the track and caused the cancellation of the latter part of the racing program, track management announced that the remainder of that year's Ruidoso Downs meet would be moved to The Downs at Albuquerque in Albuquerque, New Mexico . The move would affect that year's All American Futurity and supporting races. 33°19′54″N 105°36′29″W  /  33.33167°N 105.60806°W  / 33.33167; -105.60806 This article about

400-525: Was moved from the village of Capitan, New Mexico to the field in 1945. Arizona investor Eugene Hensley bought the racetrack in 1953, becoming its general manager. Over the next decade the facility would undergo a number of expansions, and around 1957, the All American Futurity was created by Hensley, Carl Mercer, and cowboy musician Ray Reed . Held at the racetrack on Labor Day starting in 1959, they added The Rainbow Futurity in 1964. In 1988

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