PHOENIX — Turf Paradise opens Monday for a new season of horse racing.
The season is off to a late start after track renovations and uncertain ownership.
Owner Jerry Simms announced he was retiring in September 2023 after operating the track for more than two decades.
There were several potential buyers on the table, but the sales fell through.
Without anyone to lead the upcoming season, Simms announced he would step back in.
"I decided to postpone my retirement because of the many stakeholders here in Arizona that want racing to continue," Simms said.
Simms still wants to sell the racetrack with hopes the new owners will also want horse racing in Arizona to live on.
“We are hopeful that next season we will have a new owner who will want to continue so that Mr. Simms can retire and spend more time with his family," Spokesperson Mike Scerbo said.
Turf Paradise opens at 11 a.m. on Monday. Tickets are $5.
The racetrack will be open four days a week through May 4.
Turf Paradise opened in the 1950s near 19th Avenue and Bell Road. Along with live horse races, the track has hosted annual Kentucky Derby parties and family-friendly events such as ostrich and zebra races.
The racetrack did have to change its protocols for races a few years ago after a report from the Arizona Department of Gaming found many horses had to be euthanized after the horses suffered leg or ankle injuries during races at Turf Paradise.
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