RUIDOSO, N.M. – For more than a month now, Ruidoso has dealt with wildfires and multiple days of major flooding. Those floodwaters have taken over the Ruidoso Downs.

“Our bridges, our coverts were compromised, is the main reason when we flooded yesterday. This area has never experienced this kind of flooding. So, you can’t beat mother nature, you just can’t, and she showed us yesterday who’s in control,” said Rich Baugh, a general manger of Ruidoso Downs Race Track & Casino. 

In an interview last week, just a day after the floods took over the Downs, Baugh said there is no doubt the floods are going to have a huge economic impact.

He expects to come back bigger and better next year. Instead of cancelling the season, they are moving it to the downs of Albuquerque.

“We have to keep the wheels on the bus, and we got to proceed,” said Baugh.

“They’re just in an unprecedented tragedy, if you will. What’s happening down in Ruidoso, and it’s affected this track, and it’s a long haul for them as well. So anything we can do to help, take the pressure off of them, that’s what we do,” said Dan Mourning, a general manage of Expo New Mexico. 

The horses will be in Albuquerque from now till mid-August.

Mourning says for now they are focusing on getting the horses to Albuquerque.  

“We’re just making sure that we can house horses and get these horse people the accommodations that they need for their horses. These are prized animals, and we want to make sure that we take good care of them,” said Mourning. 

The first round of races are set to start this Friday at Expo New Mexico.