Turf Paradise avoids shutdown, will simulcast races for wagering
PHOENIX — Turf Paradise has avoided a shutdown after an extension was granted by the Arizona Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association to simulcast races for wagering until Nov. 12.
The extension avoids a shutdown of the track’s 37 off-track betting sites, Turf Paradise said in a news release Wednesday.
The facility also announced a new live horseracing meet scheduled to start in early January.
It comes just a few weeks after owner Jerry Simms announced he was retiring after operating the Valley racetrack for the last 23 years and potential buyers were interested in the property. Those buyers reportedly fell through.
Turf Paradise originally opened near 19th Avenue and Bell Road in the 1950s.
In addition to the annual Kentucky Derby parties the racetrack would host, Turf Paradise periodically provided family-friendly events featuring special ostrich and zebra races.
A few years ago, the racetrack changed its protocols after it experienced a rise in horse fatalities. A report from the Arizona Department of Gaming found that many of horses had to be euthanized after the horses suffered leg or ankle injuries during a race.
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