Raton residents plead for racino

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - About 50 Raton residents made the trek from Northern New Mexico to Albuquerque to tell the state's Gaming Control Board they want La Mesa Racetrack and Casino to open in the city.

Dressed in red shirts that said "Return Racing to Raton", the community members feel it is vital to the Raton-area that racing come back.

"[It's] immensely important," resident Jerri Miller said. "We lost our coal mines. We lost quite a bit of other industries and it's very important to have it back.""

A handful of residents made their appeals to the board.

"Horse racing began in Raton, and that's where it belongs," Bill Donati said. "We deserve another shot and another race track."

A spokesperson for the group said horse racing is in the community's blood given that it was a hub for racing until the 1990s.

"We hope that our future is a gaming facility, and we hope that helps us bring horse racing back to Raton," Jerry Jones said to the board members.

In May the gaming commission yanked La Mesa's gambling license after developers blamed a series of design changes and construction delays for forcing them to miss the May 1 deadline to open the casino. Canadian developer Michael Moldenhauer and other backers of the racino decided to appeal the decision.

Gaming Control Board Chairman David Norvell told the crowd that the board is also upset about the situation.

"We feel your pain," he said. "We certainly wish we weren't in the position now."

Board member Jim Peterson told the crowd they were preaching to the choir.

"Some of us have supported it from the beginning and still do to this day," Peterson said. "The problem is getting it done in Raton."

The meeting was mostly symbolic because the board has to wait until late August to hear an appeal from the racino's developers about its revoked gaming license. Norvell said Moldenhauer has the option of selling his gaming license to another developer, which would have to be approved by the commission.

The future of La Mesa's racing license will be considered Wednesday afternoon when the New Mexico Racing Commission meets. About half of the Raton residents who attended the gaming board meeting plan to attend the commission meeting.