It’s not much of an exaggeration to accuse New Mexico of being a rogue state when it comes to horse racing scandals.
In the past year, the Land of Enchantment has suffered a series of body blows:
A New York Times exposé of dangerous conditions for horses and jockeys, a federal arrest of a suspected Mexican drug [...]

It seems there’s a wave of support for getting tough on cheaters in New Mexico horse racing but a question remains: Will legislators give the state Racing Commission more money to do it?
In the past two weeks, three high-profile trainers of quarter horses got the book thrown at them after horses they looked after were [...]

As things stand now, two of the best-known quarter horse trainers in New Mexico can’t step foot on a horse racing track in the state for a long, long time.
Over the weekend, Jeffrey Heath Reed and Carlos Sedillo were found in violation of the rules and regulations for trainers by stewards working with the authority [...]

After a season marred by accusations that some trainers drugged horses to deadly levels, one quarter horse track in New Mexico says it will institute harsher fines and penalties and another track may soon follow suit.
“I think it’s great,” New Mexico Racing Commission Director Vince Mares told Capitol Report New Mexico on Monday (Sept. 4) [...]

Mary Kay Papen says she’s had enough with reports of race horse doping in New Mexico.
The state Senator who has served in the Roundhouse for 11 years says she plans to introduce a bill in the next legislative session calling for tougher penalties against trainers and owners who violate rules governing horse racing.
“We need to [...]

There’s more bad and tragic news concerning quarter-horse racing in New Mexico.
Two horses had to be euthanized after breaking down last Thursday (Aug. 16) while racing in Ruidoso – including the horse that actually won the race, Jess A Zoomin, who tested positive back in May for having a powerful painkilling drug in its system.
Both [...]