Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino is a racino located in Sunland Park, New Mexico, a suburb of El Paso. The track features live Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred racing from December to April. The meet is highlighted by the Sunland Derby with a purse of $800,000. The race was granted a Grade III status for the 2010 running and now is an important prep race for the Kentucky Derby
Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino opened its doors in 1959 as just a racetrack. In the 1990's, horse racing was in decline, so New Mexico allowed slot machines on racetracks to save the state's horse racing industry. Twenty six percent of casino revenue goes to taxes and additional twenty percent goes towards the horseman's account. All monies in the horseman's account contributes to horse racing purses at Sunland Park.
Notable races include the $200,000 WinStar Sunland Park Oaks 1-1/16 miles for fillies; the $150,000 Harry W. Henson Breeders' Cup Handicap for fillies and mares at one mile; the $150,000 Riley Allison Futurity, 6-1/2 furlongs for 2-year-olds; the $100,000 Borderland Derby, a 1 1/16-mile prep for the WinStar; and the $100,000 Sunland Park Handicap for 3-year-olds and up at 1-1/8 miles. For quarter horses, Sunland's top race is the $400,000 Grade 1 Championship, run late each December at 440 yards. The $300,000 Grade New Mexican Spring Futurity at 300 yards is run in April.
December - April
Main Track: One mile, oval.
Distance from last turn to finish line: 950 feet.
12:15pm Mountain, til February 16th
12:55pm Mountain, from February 18th
SUN
Takeout
Win, place, and show: 19%
2 horse exotics 21%
3 or more horse exotics 25%
Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino
1200 Futurity Drive
Sunland Park, NM 88063
Website: www.sunland-park.com
