Horsemen in Arizona are still awaiting final word on the future of the upcoming and future racing seasons as organizers scramble to get winter dates in place.
Earlier this year, reports surfaced that Turf Paradise, which normally runs winter-spring dates in the state, was being sold. In late July, the news broke that the Phoenix track would not open as usual in November.
During a meeting of the Arizona Racing Commission on Aug. 10, officials with Arizona Downs in Prescott Valley and the Arizona Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association revealed they had been in discussions to shift dates from Turf Paradise to Arizona Downs. Arizona Downs did not apply for 2023 racing dates by the deadline this year, and rumors had indicated it was also under contract to sell. The track was previously the subject of criticism from the commission over its bleak finances, and that will likely come into play if the track wants to run run some of Turf Paradise's dates.
“There is no guarantee to anybody in this – I want to make that perfectly clear,” said Tom Auther, managing member of Arizona Downs ownership, of the possibility the facility could pick up dates starting in November.
The next regularly-scheduled meeting of the Arizona commission is Sept. 14, which would make for a tight turnaround for dates approval. Auther was cautioned by commissioners and staff that the track would need to submit all financial reports as soon as possible for review, and that it should also be prepared to submit a business plan that would show number of race days, number of races per day, daily purses, and operating expenses compared to projected total revenue.
Auther said several unnamed entities have discussed investing in a meeting to make it more financially viable.
Jerry Simms, current owner of Turf Paradise, said it's still possible racing could take place there this winter. According to Simms, the current deal to sell the track to James Watson's CT Realty has a few more steps to go before it's complete. Watson has a Sept. 15 deadline by which financial approvals need to be in place and will have the chance to back out at that time. Simms reported Watson has candidly said he's 50/50 on whether he'll continue to move forward with the deal. If he does, the closing date is set for mid-December.
Watson has indicated he could be interested in continuing racing at Turf Paradise in the short-term, though the long-term plan is for development of the property.
After he announced the track would not open in November, Simms said he received numerous calls from other entities that wanted to buy Turf and keep it as a racetrack long-term, including one from the owner of Louisiana Downs. Under the terms of his contract with Watson, though, he can't enter into talks with anyone else as long as Watson's deal is still on.
“I'm willing to help,” Simms told commissioners. “I want horse racing to continue in Arizona. I do not want horse racing to end.”
One thing Simms was clear about – he's not willing to reopen racing in November himself.
“The HBPA worked very hard to put a deal together and in the end we were told that Jerry Simms is 77 years old, he's tired, he doesn't want a race meet anymore and we have to wait till there's a new buyer,” said Leroy Gessman, executive director of the Arizona HBPA.
“I've had to loan the track over $12 million in the last few years to keep it open,” Simms said. “I did that because I thought we were going to get [HHR] machines. I felt we had a very, very good chance to get them from [former] Gov. [Doug] Ducey and that didn't happen.”
Part of the sticking point, according to Simms, was the 50/50 split of OTB profit between the track and the horsemen, which he said should be 60/40 in favor of his track. He doesn't expect Watson would be willing to take the 50/50 terms he turned down from the Arizona horsemen, but regardless the horsemen would have to negotiate their own deal with Watson to keep racing. Simms also acknowledged that if OTB operations come to a halt, interest from future owners in keeping Turf Paradise running will likely decline, since they'd be faced with trying to rehire staff for those facilities.
“Then I strongly urge you to get back to the negotiating table and I would strongly urge the horsemen to think about the big picture here,” said Chuck Coolidge, chairman of the Arizona commission.
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