There are people interested in purchasing the Turf Paradise horse racetrack in Phoenix, but no firm plans are in place after current owner Jerry Simms announced his retirement.
After a nearly 70 year run, the racetrack at 19th Avenue and Bell Road will stop live horse racing at the end of the month.
General manager Vincent Francia says he hopes horse racing at the course will make a comeback.
“It’s not as though racing in Arizona is coming to an end. It’s that Turf Paradise, the one that people have known in the Valley and supported for the past 67 years, that’s what’s coming to an end," Francia said.
A prospective Turf Paradise buyer recently backed out.
The Arizona Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association negotiates with racetracks. Francia says Turf Paradise asked for a one-month extension.
“When we announced that we are not racing live, that is something of course the Horsemen depend on, that we race live. They did not give us the extension, therefore, we have to shut down on Sept. 30," Francia said.
Anyone wanting to reopen the course at the 213-acre property will be required to get a permit from the state to run horse races. The simulcast signal will turn off Sept. 30 at the course and at all of Turf Paradise’s 37 off-site betting locations.
Francia said Turf Paradise riders and patrons are sharing their memories at the era’s end.
