Horse racetrack in Phoenix, Arizona
Turf Paradise is a thoroughbred and quarter horse racetrack located at 19th Avenue and Bell Road, in the Deer Valley section of Phoenix, Arizona in the United States. It opened in 1956.
Turf Paradise is typically open for racing from early November through April. It hosts the Turf Paradise Derby for three-year-olds in February, a prep race for the Kentucky Derby (although the race does not offer any qualifying points).[1]
Turf Paradise is owned and operated by local entrepreneur Jerry Simms, along with several partners. The Turf Paradise property had faced redevelopment after a real estate company entered into a purchase agreement in April 2023.[2] It was reported in late September 2023 that the purchase agreement had fallen through and that a new buyer had emerged with the intention of continuing live racing at the track.[3]
History
In 1954 businessman Walter Cluer, a successful millwork company founder and manufacturer from Phoenix, purchased 1,400 acres (5.7 km2) of barren desert at what is now Bell Road and 19th Avenue. Cluer, who was also a horse owner, dreamt of building a first-class race track in Phoenix.
Many locals thought Cluer's ambitious project was ill-timed and destined to fail, given that the property was 25 miles (40 km) from downtown Phoenix, and that the only way to get there was via a few badly maintained dirt roads. However, he forged ahead and on January 7, 1956, Turf Paradise opened its doors to great success. Cluer remained as head of the track for nearly 25 years.
In 1980, Herb Owens took over and Turf Paradise entered into a phase of renovation. A seven-furlong infield turf course with a one-mile and one-eighth (1.8 km) chute was added. The Clubhouse was enlarged and a Turf Club with penthouse-style Directors’ Suite and outdoor patio was also added.
Turf Paradise's third owner, Robert Walker of Scottsdale, Arizona, had made a fortune with an aerospace company he had founded and sold. He purchased the track in 1989 and moved it into the gambling field of off-track betting. Walker's formula seemed to be the right approach at the right time, as he retired the track's outstanding debt and declared the first-ever dividend for Turf Paradise stockholders. In addition, Walker and a consortium of horse racing interests successfully lobbied the Arizona Legislature to legalize off track betting (OTB). The in-state OTB network is perhaps Walker's most significant contribution to the track and Arizona's racing industry. What started out as a single OTB site in little Cave Creek (population 4,000) in 1991, has now grown to over 45 in-state OTBs and over 900 out-of-state locales, located in six countries.
Turf Paradise took on a corporate face in 1994 when the track was purchased in a stock acquisition by California-based Hollywood Park Racetrack under the chairmanship of Randall D. Hubbard.[4] Despite intense competition from a number of Native American in-state casino gaming interests, Turf Paradise continued to flourish and achieve record mutual handle numbers.
The new millennium provided Turf Paradise with a new owner in the person of Jerry Simms. The self-made multi-millionaire purchased Turf Paradise on June 16, 2000 for $53 million.[5] Simms immediately set out a $5 million renovation plan. Both the Clubhouse and Turf Club were completely renovated and re-styled. Two race book-style betting carrels, of 80 private terminals each, were added, one in the Clubhouse and the other adjacent to the Turf Club.
Simms also had the main track and turf course renovated, and in the summer of 2003, Simms built a $125,000 equine swimming pool in the stable area of the race track. The 30-foot (9.1 m) by 60-foot (18 m) pool provides advanced horse therapy for more than 2,200 thoroughbreds stabled on the backside. Containing over 140,000 gallons of water and measuring 12 feet (3.7 m) in depth, the pool accommodates up to six horses at a time. The pool had an immediate effect, not only on equine health but on field size.
The track was on a healthy financial footing in 2004, and Simms purchased property at the busy 19th Avenue and Bell Road intersection adjacent to the race track.[6] He made use of the land for commercial development and at the same time enhancing the racing operation.
In mid-March 2020, the meet ended early as the COVID-19 pandemic caused the track to shut down indefinitely.
Racing returned on January 4, 2021 with an 84-day race meet judged to be one of the most successful at the track in recent times. Pending finalization of contracts with the AZHBPA, racing is due to resume for a 125-day live meet on November 5, 2021.
In April 2023 it was announced that California-based CT Realty had entered into an agreement to purchase the Turf Paradise property for redevelopment, with closing expected sometime during the summer. At the time of the announcement, an executive at the Arizona Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association said his members were told that racing at Turf Paradise would continue between one and three more years while surrounding land is redeveloped.[2] In September 2023, Turf Paradise announced that the racetrack property, and all of its off-track-betting locations in Arizona, would cease operations in October.[7] Later that month, it was reported that the sale of the Turf Paradise property had fallen through and that Simms found a new buyer to purchase the racetrack with the intention of continuing live racing.[3] It was later clarified that the new buyers would be Frank Nickens, acting as the Turf Paradise Land Trust, and Richard Moore. The Arizona Racing Commission was informed that Turf Paradise is expected to resume live racing in January 2024 under the new ownership.[8]
It was later revealed that the new buyers of the track had not put up the money to buy the track. “The deal was there before. Quoting owner Jerry Simms “The people never put up their money, and it just didn't happen.” [9] Live racing from January to May for 2024 is currently ongoing, during the latest Arizona Racing commission meeting Simms said he is still looking to sell the track and keep racing, and he has several potential suitors.
