Ruidoso Downs Racetrack will honor and induct the 2025 Ruidoso Downs Racing Hall of Fame class on Thursday evening, August 7th in the Turf Club. The annual gala will be held the same weekend as trials for the All American Futurity, All American Derby and All American Oaks. That weekend also features the New Mexico-bred Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred Yearling Sale August 8 and 9.
Each year the Hall of Fame Committee at Ruidoso Downs selects a specific horse, owner, trainer, jockey, and a recipient of special achievement in the industry. This year’s inductees include:
HORSE:
GO TOGETHER
©Photo Provided
Foaled in 1967, Go Together raced for the late Harriett C Peckham. She won 13 of 27 lifetime starts including the Rainbow Derby and the World’s Championship Classic, in which she set the Ruidoso Downs 440-yard Track Record. Racing in the era of Easy Jet, Go Together defeated the legendary horse four times, while Easy Jet defeated Go Together four times.
Following her retirement from racing, Go Together would establish herself as one of the greatest matriarchs of the Quarter Horse racing industry. Through her daughters, granddaughters and her many descendants, Go Together’s family has produced winners that have won more than $14,000,000. The highlights of her family are the millionaires Higher Fire, Fly Baby Fly, as well as Separatist, Way Maker, and Lets Leave.
OWNER:
JOE DEE BROOKS
©Linda Earley, Speedhorse
The late Joe Dee Brooks of Levelland, Texas was a larger-than-life personality who successfully raced horses at Ruidoso Downs and throughout New Mexico for many years. Most of Brooks’ success in racing was with horses owned in partnerships with his numerous friends and colleagues, including All American Futurity winner Cowboys Gun Z and Rainbow Futurity winner First Valiant Sign. The many successful thoroughbreds campaigned by Brooks and his partners include Diabolical Dame ($696,000), Chuchuluco ($570,000), Hush’s Storm ($476,000), and many others.
TRAINER:
BLANE WOOD
©Susan Bachelor, Speedhorse
Blane Wood and his family have been longtime fixtures at the top of the Ruidoso Downs trainer standings. He has over 50 stakes winners to his credit including All American Futurity winners Whistle Stop Cafe and Apocalyptical Jess. Team Wood also sported Rainbow Futurity winners Leading Spirit, MM Fourinthemorning, MS First Prize Rose and Tres Friends, along with Texas Classic Futurity winner Flying Cowboy 123.
Wood follows in the footsteps of his late father Leo Wood, making the only father and son combination to ever be inducted into the Ruidoso Downs Racehorse Hall of Fame. He is also the father of third generation trainer Trey Wood.
JOCKEY:
JJ GONZALES
©Lone Star Park
New Mexico based jockey JJ Gonzales, during his riding career won over 1,000 races with earnings of over $15,850,000. Counted among the many successful stakes winners he has ridden are All American Futurity winner By By JJ, Rainbow Futurity winner Leading Spirit, Rainbow Derby winner SC Chiseled In Stone and Ruidoso Futurity winner The A List.
Gonzales has established himself currently as a successful trainer and patriarch of a successful training family.
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT:
RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN
©Photo Provided
Richard Chamberlain, the Texas based equine journalist has been writing about horses and horsemen for more than 45 years.
In 1979 he joined the staff of the American Quarter Horse Journal and began covering races for the magazine that summer at Ruidoso Downs.
Throughout the years, the prolific journalist has covered hundreds of races highlighted by the Triple Crown campaign of Special Effort to the multi-million-dollar race campaign of Ochoa. He has also received the prestigious Wrangler Award from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.
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Tickets to the Hall of Fame Banquet on August 7th will be made available on the Ruidoso Downs Racetrack website in the near future. The event will include a social mixer at 6:30 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. followed by the program that will be hosted by Hall of Fame Broadcaster Tom Dawson.
(Ruidoso Downs Horse Sale Director Walt Wiggins provided the information for the press release.)
