After 67 years, major quarter horse racing event moving to Texas

While it isn't quite the widely known troika of the Kentucky Derby , Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, another major horse racing triple crown is moving to Texas, leaving its old home for the first time in nearly seven decades.

Johnny and Jana Trotter, owners of Ruidoso Downs in Ruidoso, N.M., agreed on a tentative deal with Global Gaming Solutions to move multiple quarter horse racing events and assets, including each race in its annual Triple Crown Series, to Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, about 20 miles west of Dallas. The move, announced Sept. 3 , would go into effect in 2027.

What's moving to Texas include the three quarter horse Triple Crown Futurity races: the $1 million Ruidoso Futurity, the $1 million Rainbow Futurity and $3 million All-American Futurity, plus the All-American Super Select Sale and the Ruidoso Downs Hall of Fame. The triple crown races are the richest in quarter horse racing . The Hall of Fame includes an annual induction event.

The move comes after major challenges for Ruidoso Downs. Floods damaged the facility in 2024, prompting the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) to temporarily relocate the All American Futurity to the New Mexico State Fare in Albuquerque. Unfortunately, floods once again prompted its move to Albuquerque in '25. This summer, a house fire impacted the area of Ruidoso Downs. The All-American race which dates to 1959, stayed in Albuquerque for 2026. It was run Monday.

"Following the fires and floods of recent years, we have taken a hard look at what comes next and evaluated every realistic path forward," read a statement by Ruidoso Downs General Manager Rick Baugh in the Sept. 3 announcement. "Our responsibility has always been to protect not just a place but a legacy."

Lone Star Park opened in 1997 in Grand Prairie, covering 315 acres with accommodations for 1,600 horses. Global Gaming Solutions, which is based within the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma, also operates Remington Park in Oklahoma City and multiple casinos.

"The All-American Triple Crown Series, Super Select Sale and Hall of Fame have a treasured history among owners, trainers, jockeys and the countless racing fans who love the horse racing experience," read a statement in the announcement by Global Gaming Solutions CEO Skip Seeley. "We are excited about the opportunity to continue these storied traditions at Lone Star Park and introduce them to racing fans across North Texas and beyond."