Turf Paradise isn't dead yet, and neither are the dozens of off-track betting sites throughout Arizona that were set to close on Oct. 1 when a contract between the Phoenix racetrack and the Arizona Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association expires.
In a span of less than 24 hours, the Arizona HBPA said it had extended the agreement with Turf Paradise that would permit the OTBs to continue operating until Nov. 12, and a mystery buyer stepped forward to say he was going to buy the 213-acre racetrack, continue live racing, and save 5,000 horse industry jobs while aiming to make it a Top 10 facility in the country.
The two developments are related. The HBPA board extended its OTB contract with track owner Jerry Simms on Wednesday after meeting with Frank Nickens, who said he is prepared to enter into a contract with a partner, Richard Moore, to purchase the track and its OTB licenses for an undisclosed price. If the deal goes through, the new owners plan to begin racing in January 2024.
Nickens, a 57-year-old Louisiana native, said he learned a week earlier that Turf Paradise was closing after a deal to sell the property to CT Realty and partners fell through and Simms announced that he was going to retire and end live racing, effective immediately.
Nickens, a Scottsdale resident who said he has overseen development of major industrial projects and gold mining, told the Paulick Report he visited one of the OTBs around 10 a.m. Sept. 20 and talked with an employee about the situation, learning about the jobs that will be eliminated along with the history of the 67-year-old facility.
“I took an interest in it,” said Nickens, adding, “I have access to money from the standpoint that we are involved in large volume trading platforms with gold mining and so forth.”
Nickens did some online research and called Turf Paradise, eventually getting through to Simms around 2 p.m. that afternoon.
“At the end of our conversation, verbally we had an idea of a deal that we could make,” Nickens said. “I saw an opportunity to save these jobs. Preserve the history, save the jobs, and make something that becomes one of the best facilities in the country.”
Nickens said he and Moore intend to spend upwards of $50 million for a “redevelopment” of the track that could include a hotel, restaurants and businesses that “benefit the horse industry,” specifically mentioning RV and trailer sales and services. “If we can become a Top 10 facility and be the best thing for 500 miles, obviously we'll do nothing but go up. It's going to take some time.”
Leroy Gessman, executive director of the Arizona HBPA, told Steve Byk on his At the Races radio show Thursday morning, “It's a crazy story and I'm still a little suspicious of everything.”
Nickens and Moore were named as the potential Turf Paradise buyers during a Thursday morning virtual meeting of the Arizona Racing Commission, though neither appeared. Instead, Vincent Francia, general manager of Turf Paradise, read a letter signed by Moore as CEO of a newly formed LLC, Turf Paradise Land Trust.
“Turf Paradise LLP is working toward the purchase of Turf Paradise race course,” the statement read. “We plan to keep live racing, to bring this facility into a new era — horse racing for the benefit of everyone involved. We feel the preservation of such a wonderfully historical facility and the preservation of thousands of jobs that horse racing offers can carry the legacy of Turf Paradise on for another 50 years. We plan to completely redevelop surrounding land, all for the benefit of horse racing. We look forward to a new bright future for everyone at Turf Paradise.”
“The plan is to open a live race meet in early January and that is what we are all aiming for,” said Francia.
The commission approved simulcasting and ADW contracts tied to Turf Paradise.
David Auther, part owner of financially troubled Arizona Downs in the Prescott Valley, was critical of the commission for approving the contracts before knowing whether or not the sale of Turf Paradise would go through. He wanted revenue from the OTBs diverted to Arizona Downs, which plans to run in 2024 after not opening for live racing this year. Auther also questioned whether the proposed buyers have been “vetted” for fitness to be licensed.
Little is known about or easily accessible online concerning Nickens, who said he grew up “breaking horses, building fences, and baling hay” in a rural part of Louisiana but has never been closely involved with Thoroughbred racing. He said he's learned what he knows about racing from his best friend, a Quarter Horse trainer.
Even less is known about Moore, who Nickens said is a Florida resident involved in the energy industry in nuclear power, oil and gas. As CEO, Moore would hold the Turf Paradise license with state officials, Nickens said. Both will be vetted by state regulatory officials, the commission said.
Simms, who has owned Turf Paradise since 2000, said during the commission meeting he was happy that the prospective buyers want to keep racing going.
“I had several buyers for the track and I chose the buyer who I signed an agreement and moving ahead with because he plans to run racing,” Simms said. “He's very much an enthusiast, wants to have racing, is not interested in putting data centers on the property. He wants racing.
“I want to save the industry, the jobs,” said Simms, who has allowed the track to fall into disrepair in recent years. “I could have even gotten perhaps more money with one of the other buyers, but I decided to make the deal with this buyer because I felt good about everything he said. I did not want to see all those people unemployed.”
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