Phoenix's venerable Turf Paradise, the city's oldest live sports venue, is approaching the finish line of yet another racing season, while its future remains in the balance. Despite the uncertainty and previous reports that this granddaddy of local sports—predating the Suns, Mercury, Diamondbacks, and Cardinals—might shutter, there's still hope it will gallop on. According to ABC15, the track's general manager, Vincent Francia, detailed their pursuits to secure a buyer committed to keeping this Phoenix institution—along with its $90 million economic impact—alive and kicking.
Francia, who's been part of Turf Paradise since 1990, expressed a sentimental connection to the race track. "Racing is one of the few sports that combines human athleticism with equine athleticism," Francia told ABC15. He elaborated, saying, "What you do, and that includes me and people who come here casually, you fall in love with the horse, and it is all based on that. What you do, and that includes me and people who come here casually, you fall in love with the horse, and it is all based on that. The sport survives on dreams — anyone connected with this sport, has the hope, the dream, to have a horse to go to Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May, for the Kentucky Derby."
In a turn of events akin to a photo finish, owner Jerry Simms, who has helmed Turf Paradise for 24 years, flirted with retirement back in September only to keep the track running while he continues his search for a buyer. As per azfamily.com, this Monday marked the celebratory beginning of the track's 68th season, much to the delight of fans like Gary Levine, a die-hard racing enthusiast since the 1980s who prefers the excitement of the live races to off-track betting spots.
Charged with navigating Turf Paradise through its current transition, Francia is preparing for a significant May 10 Arizona Racing Commission meeting. There, they will seek a three-year permit that could carry the institution through to 2027, potentially under new ownership dedicated to the heritage of the sport. “In that time, hopefully, another buyer will step forward and purchase the race track, and then it will be an entirely new chapter for Turf Paradise, which has been in Valley since 1956,” Francia said in a statement obtained by azfamily.com.
As for now, visitors can continue enjoying the pulse of hooves against the track and the excitement of the crowd through May 4, embracing the Kentucky Derby and the tradition of horse racing that seems to hang in the balance, yet persists in the hands of those who dream of thoroughbred glory.
