Ruidoso Downs Racetrack...Alamo, Las Cruces or Clovis?? (Alamogordo, Gallup: how much, casinos)

[Cathy4017]

http://www.alamogordonews.com/ci_15627163

Alamogordo city commissioners directed city staff to put together an incentive package in the event a gross receipts tax proposal in Lincoln County is defeated in an upcoming special election.

An article in the July 23 edition of the Ruidoso News reports the Clovis Industrial Development Corp. has made a business proposal for the track to go to Clovis if the track decides to move. Track owner R.D. Hubbard signed an agreement with Lincoln County on July 20 to keep the track in Ruidoso Downs for five years if Lincoln County voters approve a gross receipts tax in a special election, which will most likely be held in September. The GRT would provide financial assistance to the track.

So it comes up once again.

I cannot imagine Ruidoso Downs moving from where it has been for decades! Half of the fun of going to the races in the mountains was getting away from the summer heat in Texas and other places.

Clovis?? You're kidding!

Las Cruces? Too close to the already-existing Sunland Park.

Alamogordo? Better, but not the same at all.

I hope that Lincoln County voters will pass the GRT....the track really is at a disadvantage when it has to compete with the tax-favored Indian casinos in the area. I don't remember what the percentage is now, but RD has to give the state back a much higher percentage of winnings than any of the Indian casinos do.

I hope they can somehow hang on and stay in Ruidoso. Just won't be the same without it. I wouldn't go to a racetrack anywhere else, not even here.

Raton had a racetrack coming, and somebody screwed up royally there. They just threw a possible economic advantage away. I don't remember what happened, but it had something to do with the developer of the facility.

From the old post/article:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/11695674-post134.html

According to the article, RD pays 46% of net (for casino and racing purses) win to the state, while the Indian casinos have a top rate of less than 10%.

Hard to compete when you have that sort of a disadvantage.

[afdude2018]

I believe the developer screwed the pooch in Raton because he didn't meet a deadline to have temporary facilities up and running until the permenent facilities were built. Because of this the license was revoked.

I just got done reading that article in the newspaper. Definitely interesting. I'm sure it'd cost less to move the track to Alamo IF they even have to move it. I have a feeling the GRT will pass though.

[catman]

I cannot believe the Ruidoso Downs track will move. Clovis indeed!

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by afdude2018

I believe the developer screwed the pooch in Raton because he didn't meet a deadline to have temporary facilities up and running until the permenent facilities were built. Because of this the license was revoked.

I just got done reading that article in the newspaper. Definitely interesting. I'm sure it'd cost less to move the track to Alamo IF they even have to move it. I have a feeling the GRT will pass though.

If they are smart, they WILL vote for the additional GRT tax in September.

The owner cannot stay in business with that kind of a loss every season. This has come up all three years that I've lived here.

I cannot imagine going to a racetrack anywhere but the cooler mountains.

Period...it's been there too long and is far too much a part of the local scene to even think of moving it elsewhere--especially hot Clovis. Ugh!!

At least in Alamogordo, as hot as it is, you'd have some beautiful mountains to look at!

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by catman

I cannot believe the Ruidoso Downs track will move. Clovis indeed!

That really is the worst choice among the three!

[JDTH]

They have to find a way to keep the track in Ruidoso Downs. It is hard to believe the track loses money every year, but I have heard about this for the past three years at least. Ruidoso would not be the same without the track. It is one of the main reasons we bought a place in Ruidoso, besides the weather. It would be such a financial drain on the Village of Ruidoso, it would never be the same.

[afdude2018]

I had the deer in headlights look when I saw how much the track loses. Just under 4 million for 2008 and 2009? WOW!

I know if I was the owner it'd have to be one hell of an incentive package for me to even entertain the idea of moving from Ruidoso to Clovis.

[desert sun]

Clovis would be a bad choice, Alamo would be better, but maybe they should try Gallup.

[afdude2018]

Track needs to stay in the Mountains.

[JDTH]

Has there ever been an independent audit of the "REAL" books, not the ones they show the IRS? My guess is probably not. If you are really losing that much money each year why stay open at all? It doesn't make sense.