Records and History

 
1949 - Canvas covered grandstand was built. Track was 5/8ths-mile oval. First 870-yard anywhere races were run.
 
1953 – Track name changed to Ruidoso Downs and comes under control of owner/general manger Gene Hensley.
 
1957-58 – Hensley, Carl Mercer and Ray Reed create and develop All American Futurity.
 
1959 - First All American Futurity is run. Galobar won race with $129,000 purse, richest ever in quarter horse racing. It is the first of three All American Futurity wins by trainer Newt Keck in the race’s first five runnings.
 
1963 - Goetta wins All American Futurity and is first winner to be named world champion at two.
 
1964 - Double Queen wins the first Rainbow Futurity for owner Clarence Scharbauer and trainer Don Farris.
 
1969 - The Walter Merrick-owned, -bred and -trained Easy Jet wins the All American Futurity and is world champion at two.
 
1974 - Pass Over wins the first All American Derby.
 
1978 - Moon Lark wins first $1 million All American Futurity, first of a record eight winners trained by Jack Brooks.
 
1981 - Special Effort wins all three Grade 1 futurities at Ruidoso Downs and is still the only futurity triple-crown winner.
 
1982 - Mr Master Bug wins first All American Futurity with $2 million purse and receives $1 million, Jack Brooks trains.
 
1986 - Track reconfigured to current 7/8ths-mile oval with 550-yard quarter horse chute, still the only track to have separate quarter horse straightaway
 
1988 - R.D. Hubbard and his partners purchase Ruidoso Downs.
 
1988 - Dash For Speed wins the three Grade 1 derbies to become the first derby tripe crown winner.
 
1990 – Refrigerator wins All American Futurity. His :19.39 time is the 400-yard stakes record.
 
1999 - Billy the Kid Casino opens. The casino started contributing cash to race purses and helped secure Ruidoso Downs’ future.
 
2005 - DM Shicago sweeps the derby triple crown and is named world champion. He becomes the only All American Futurity winner to return the following summer and win the three Grade 1 derbies.
 
2006 - No Secrets Here wins All American Futurity in current stakes record of :20.88 for 440 yards.