AD LAS CRUCES - Stan Fulton, owner of Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino and a major donor to New Mexico State University, has died. 4 in Las Vegas, where he lived, according. Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino opened its doors as just a racetrack in 1959 and in 1999 received its gaming license.The casino features 36,000 square feet of gaming floor with more than 700 slot machines. Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino opened its doors in 1959 as just a racetrack. In the 1990s New Mexico designed legislation allowing racetracks to incorporate slot machines into their business as an effort to save New Mexico horse racing, and the revenue from slot machines at Sunland Park have had a profound effect on the quality of their live race meet.

Typically, Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino would be preparing for its annual horse racing meet.

But with COVID-19 virus cases remaining high in New Mexico and the casino still closed, the start of horse racing or any type of season is still up in the air.

According to the New Mexico Racing Commission website, Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino had a 42-day meet scheduled for Dec. 26 through March 30.

In a text to the El Paso Times, Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino officials offered this statement: 'Per the New Mexico health order, Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino will remain closed. We continue to work with the racing commission as we prepare for the return of live racing.'

Sunland Park ended the 2020 season in mid-March due to virus concerns, costing the track several big races including the Sunland Derby, West Texas Futurity and Sunland Park Handicap. Sunland Derby is a prep race for the Kentucky Derby worth 50 points to the winner.

The racetrack attempted to bring back simulcasting of horse racing from other tracks in June, but that lasted a few days before it ceased.

Meanwhile, several trainers and jockeys will have to relocate this winter to other tracks. Thoroughbred trainers Todd Fincher and Justin Evans have made plans to go to Turf Paradise in Arizona and Sam Houston Park in Texas, respectively. Fincher and Evans have been prominent trainers at Sunland Park for several years.

'We'll spend a good portion of the winter in Arizona,' Evans said. 'I'll look at Sam Houston as well for some stakes races. I'll keep my New Mexico bred horses ready in New Mexico if Sunland Park does open. It's been tough on everyone. Some jockeys are headed to Arizona as well. My wife Vanessa is going to be agent for a few jockeys such as Frank Reyes, Luis Negron and Jimmy Coates.'

Added Fincher: 'It's been a difficult time for so many in this industry. I'm fortunate to have been granted 24 stalls at Sam Houston and will have some run at Remington Park in Oklahoma as well. But I really believe we could have run in New Mexico and done it the right way. People are getting out of the business and it's tough to see that happen to good people.'

Zia Park Racetrack and Casino in Hobbs, New Mexico, took a couple of weeks off due to the health order in New Mexico but is expected to resume racing on Wednesday and will try to finish the meet, which is slated to end Dec. 22.

Longtime quarter horse and thoroughbred trainer Tony Sedillo said he doesn't believe Sunland Park will have live horse racing unless the casino is opened.

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'I'm looking at running horses in Arizona and then in March, we'll send some of my quarter horses to Remington Park in Oklahoma,' Sedillo said. 'I still have some horses set to run at Zia Park. Hopefully, we can finish the meet there. I don't think we'll see any dates made up, but purses look to be going up over the next three weeks. It's just hard times right now and hopefully, we can weather this. I've been in this business 45 years and never have seen anything like this.'

Race meets at Ruidoso and Albuquerque took place in the summer and fall but had limited fans on track and the casinos remained closed at those meets. Zia Park has been running without its casino open.

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Felix F. Chavez may be reached at 915-546-6167; fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Live Horse Racing at Sunland Park remains up in the air

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IAW NEW MEXICO PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY ORDER

GOVENOR MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM AND SUNLAND PARK RACETRACK & CASINO ANNOUNCE $2 MILLION GIFT

Stanley E. Fulton Family Foundation to Help New Mexicans During Crisis

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Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino announced today that the Stanley E. Fulton Family Foundation is making a commitment of $2,000,000 to assist New Mexicans. The Stanley E. Fulton Family Foundation was endowed by the long-time owner of Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, the late Stanley E. Fulton. The gift will go to the All Together NM Fund, which will oversee the distribution of the gift to local charities and food banks in the areas hardest hit by the COVID-19 crisis.

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