Turf Paradise owner: More racing must come with less stress

Owner Jerry Simms said Thursday he still plans to keep Turf Paradise operating past the end of the current, abbreviated meet in May, but he also warned that he could pull the plug if operating the racetrack turned too rancorous.

“I don’t plan to end it on May 31,” Simms told the Arizona Racing Commission during its February meeting.

Asked by Arizona Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association president Lloyd Yother whether that meant he was applying for dates to open the 2024-25 meet on time in November, Simms stopped short of making a full promise.

Uncertainty clouds current Turf Paradise meet.

“Right now that’s my plan,” he said. “I don’t need to do it now. We’re not applying for them now. We have plenty of time, but yes, that is my plan.”

Simms, 77, then addressed the criticism aimed at him and Turf Paradise management since he announced last spring he wanted to sell the Phoenix, Ariz., racetrack and retire.

“As you get older, the stress of things that come up are very, very difficult,” Simms said. “My plan to do what I just said takes into consideration that this is not going to be a very, very, very stressful season (with) all kind of issues. If those things happen, I just want to be clear, I can’t go through any more of it. That would end it.”

The deteriorating condition of the 68-year-old racecourse has been a bone of contention for horsemen and horseplayers critical of Simms. Thursday’s meeting included an update on improvements and repairs that were sought by the commission and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.

“If it can run smoothly, you have issues, we’ll deal with you,” Simms said. “We want to help. If there’s something we’re not doing right, we want to take care of it. That’s all fine. It’s just the stress of fighting and all kind of stuff, that’s the kind of stuff that I won’t continue with.”

Former Arizona HBPA president Bob Hutton read that as a potential threat.

“It reminded me of, ‘If you don’t go ahead and do what I want you to do, I’m going to take my ball and go home,’ ” he said. “I think that was very unfair to say that.”

With the uncertainty at Turf Paradise in the foreground, Hutton went on to say, “It’s been extremely hard to stay silent watching an industry that has flourished for decades in Arizona being gutted like a fish.”

Offering no specific details, Simms said he continues to field offers to buy Turf Paradise, which includes 213 acres of land in north Phoenix. He said it was in his best interests as a seller to keep live racing moving forward.

“I met with someone yesterday,” Simms said. “It’s more advantageous to have the track running. It’s my plan not to end (at) the end of May. My plan is to try the best I can to get it sold to someone that’s going to run a racetrack. In that process I need to have the racetrack running, working with the HBPA. That’s what my goal is, and that’s what I’m working on.”

Simms’s desire to sell the track and two deals that fell through last year led to a delayed start Jan. 29 of the current meet that was cut from 130 days to 57. Following tradition, Turf Paradise’s season still will end May 4 in conjunction with Kentucky Derby day. Simms’s license to race at the track technically runs through May 31.

Hutton said the short season this winter and spring has left everyone from owners, breeders and trainers to farriers and feed companies in the lurch. He emphasized that bettors suffered, too.

“Short fields (and) no turf course to speak of make the turf product unappealing to race fans,” he said. “The lack of customer service and concessions has driven the racing customers away from the racetrack. When a customer has a bad experience, they go and tell their friends.”

Simms, who spoke and then left the meeting before Hutton took his turn, reiterated his talking points before concluding.

“I have a number of people interested, and all of them that I’m working with right now want to run a racetrack,” Simms said. “We need to have continuity. If they see a bunch of fighting and all kinds of everything going on, all kinds of issues, nobody wants to walk into that.”