Gambling

When Odds Are You’re Looking To Gamble

\ Sep 02, 2010

3 min read

Personally, I refuse to gamble unless there are short people and horses involved. A jockey friend once told me that it’s a sucker game. Well, with God as my witness, I am that sucker. There is no better day than one spent at a horse track—the fresh air, the beautiful animals, the chain-smoking old men inside playing the simulcast races. Ah, sweet: looking through the program to find the oddly named creature to wager my two dollars on and then yelling as he or she runs the mud track, the trumpet music, the ridiculous jockey uniforms, the old Mexican men and their long-toed boots.

Heaven? Probably.

Horse Tracks

There are, of course, unlicensed horse tracks scattered throughout New Mexico. One only needs an adventurous spirit and the will to find them. Or stick with these horse houses of good repute.

The Downs at Albuquerque

Expo New Mexico State Fairgrounds

300 San Pedro NE

266-5555

Live racing runs Aug. 14 through Nov. 14.

There is a casino upstairs in which to drop off the horse haters. Take your $20 outside. It’s the only form of gambling that seems appropriate to take children to because they will like the beautiful horses. abqdowns.com has post times and dates.

Billy the Kid Casino and Ruidoso Downs Race Track

Just off Hwy. 70 west, Ruidoso

(575) 378-4431

Live racing from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day

Check out ruidownsracing.com for post times and dates.

Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino

1200 Futurity, Sunland Park

(575) 874-5200

Live racing from December to April

Check sunland-park.com for post times and dates.

Sunray Park and Casino

39 Road 5568, Farmington

(505) 566-1200

Live racing from April to July

Post times and dates at sunraygaming.com.

Zia Park and Black Gold Casino

3901 West Millen, Hobbs

(575) 492-7000.

Opening day is Sept. 11. Visit blackgoldcasino.net for post times and dates.

Casinos

If casinos are more your style, there are plenty of them; nearly every pueblo or Indian tribe has one these days. Here are all of them, according to 500nations.com, a good site for finding all things Native American.

Apache Nugget Casino

Jicarilla Apache tribe

Hwy. 550, Dulce

(505) 759-3777

Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino

Pueblo of Pojoaque

30 Buffalo Thunder Trail, Santa Fe

(505) 455-5555

buffalothunderresort.com

Camel Rock Casino

Tesuque Pueblo

17486A Hwy. 84/285, Santa Fe