Arizona Downs | Horse Racing Free Tips

Arizona Downs Gives Fans a Shot at 100K

Arizona Downs will offer fans a chance at winning up to $100,000 with just one swing of a golf club. The contest will take place June 30, July 28 and Aug. 25. Sign up, available on contest days, is open to fans in attendance for the day's final race. Prior to that race, a golf strip will be stretched across the winner's circle, with a bucket placed 100 yards out. A total of 10 fans will be randomly selected from that day's entries–nine will get one shot with a pitching wedge to get a golf ball into the bucket for $10,000. A single fan will take a shot for $100,000.

“Together with our partners at Insurance Office of America, we thought it would be a lot of fun to offer this amazing opportunity to our fans,” said General Manager Mike Weiss. “It's always a great day to come out and enjoy an afternoon at the track, but it's a really great day when you can enjoy an afternoon at the track and walk home with $100,000.”

Live racing is held Tuesday and Wednesday through September.

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Arizona Downs Opens 32-Day Summer Racing Season

The sights, sounds and excitement of live horse racing are back at Arizona Downs.

The Prescott Valley track will host a full season of thoroughbred racing in a decade and the first racing of any kind in two years. Opening Day is Tuesday, with doors opening at 9 a.m. and the first of nine races set to begin at 2:30 p.m. MST. Every race will be simulcast, providing an opportunity to show off the beauty of Prescott Valley.

Parking and general admission are free, with track admission open to fans of all ages.

“We're excited to welcome fans back to the track and experience racing like we've never had here before,” general manager Mike Weiss said. “The community response to re-opening our doors has been overwhelming and we know it is going to be an unforgettable season at Arizona Downs.”

The track has partnered with the Arizona Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association to develop the most attractive race program in track history. Live racing happens every Tuesday and Wednesday through September – 32 dates in all.

Families and horse lovers from across the Quad Cities will find a new management team, renovated facility and the biggest purses in track history drawing nearly 700 horses from Arizona and across the country, including New Mexico, California and Minnesota, among other states.

Arizona Downs is being managed this season by Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E), a trailblazer in the gaming, racing and entertainment industry. Among the properties they own and operate is Colonial Downs, a Virginia thoroughbred track that had been shuttered for six years and now serves as a thriving, revenue-generating entertainment destination.

For more information, please visit www.arizonadowns.com.

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Vercruysse, Lugo To Host Paddock Show During Arizona Downs Meet

The return of horse racing at Arizona Downs gets an added dose of excitement with longtime racing analyst Aaron Vercruysse agreeing to serve as paddock host during the 2021 summer race season.

Vercruysse hosts the nationally syndicated “Post Time Radio” show and previously served as the on-air host and race analyst at Santa Anita Park in California. The University of Arizona graduate will be joined as the track's paddock host by current U of A student and Arizona Downs intern Giselle Lugo.

“I am such a big fan of Arizona Downs and what this track means for the future of Arizona horse racing, I was ecstatic when I was asked to do this,” Vercruysse said. “I'm very happy and excited to be part of the return of racing here.”

Vercruysse, who began his horse racing career as an intern with the Stronach Group and rose to the executive ranks, said he was also drawn to the position thanks to the role of track general manager Mike Weiss, a longtime supporter of the University of Arizona's Race Track Industry Program. That relationship resulted in Lugo landing an internship with the track. An Arizona native, she is an animal science and law major who is on the Dean's List and previously served in an internship at Rillito Park in Tucson.

“The work Mike does with the school is such a positive influence and this is a way to give back,” he said. “It's important for these students to get hands-on experience and learn the industry as they find what it is they want to do.”

Verycruysse will provide analysis of races every Tuesday and Wednesday for the race season which lasts through September. His radio show can be heard locally at 8 a.m. Saturdays on Fox Sports 910.

Arizona Downs is being managed this season by Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E), a leader in the gaming, racing and entertainment industry.

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Arizona Downs Names Weiss General Manager

Michael Weiss, a longtime racing industry professional with deep ties to Arizona horse racing, has been named the new General Manager at Arizona Downs. Weiss will lead preparations to restore the track and operate the 2021 return of live racing to the Prescott Valley facility. He most recently served as General Manager of Rillito Park Racetrack in Tucson and is well-known for pioneering the PRISE educational program for the University of Arizona's Race Track Industry Program. He is also a former student in the RTIP and currently serves as a career advisor to program graduates.

“I am excited for the opportunity to contribute to efforts to save Arizona horse racing because I truly believe it is worth saving,” Weiss said. “I look forward to rebuilding the team at Arizona Downs and assembling a safe environment for horsemen and a memorable experience for fans.”

Weiss's hiring comes at a pivotal time for horse racing in the state, as the Arizona Senate is now considering a bill to modernize wagering at horse tracks and OTBs. Senate Bill 1794 would bring more than $300 million in capital investment to Arizona horse racing, including a new track at Arizona Downs, while generating more than $100 million in new state tax revenues.

Live racing returns to Arizona Downs June 1, with a 1:30 p.m. post time, and racing will take place every Tuesday and Wednesday through Sept. 15.

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