Turf Paradise in Phoenix opens its 102-day live racing season Monday with a new operator and general manager hoping to usher in a new era in Arizona racing.
Gary Hartunian, a Southern California real estate investor and a prominent horse owner, signed a two-year lease to run racing at the north Phoenix track earlier this year after negotiating a deal to buy the track’s permit, which still needs approval from the state’s racing commission. He brought on board Tom Ludt, a veteran racing executive, to run the ship while Hartunian surveys the Phoenix area for land that could be used to build a new track.
Ludt said Friday that they have been pouring money into the track for repairs and to improve the fan experience. Although he said that a lot of the renovations are on “things nobody will see, like pipes,” a large portion of the second-floor clubhouse has been completely renovated, and elements of the track’s apron, such as the longstanding Tiki huts, have been improved.
“We’re really trying to make it a great ontrack experience,” Ludt said.
Turf Paradise is still owned by Jerry Simms, who bought the track in 2000. The track has had an up-and-down run over the past five years, with Simms offering the track up for sale on several occasions. Two deals neared completion, but both were scuttled.
While horsemen and management have clashed over the past decade, both sides seem to have put hard feelings behind them, in part due to investments in backstretch repairs and equipment, some necessary to comply with safety regulations mandated by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.
Ludt reiterated Friday that Hartunian is in it for the long-term in Phoenix. The two-year lease includes an option to buy the property, along with options on extensions.
For now, Hartunian has not made a decision on whether to focus on pursuing racing at the current property or building a new track, Ludt said.
“We’ll probably wait a year on that decision, see how things go,” Ludt said.
The current meet will run through May 2, with racing primarily on a Monday-through-Thursday schedule to capitalize on the lack of competition in the simulcast market early in the week. The track will run eight Saturdays, and Turf Paradise also has added live racing dates for the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving.
“Obviously, we need that money in the simulcast market, but we do think it’s important to have some weekend dates for families and people who work during the week to come out,” Ludt said.
◗ The meet’s stakes action on the eight-race opening-day card kicks off with the $30,000 Hank Mills Jr. Overnight Handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up. A field of nine entered, headed by Redline. The 6-year-old gelded son of Texas Red, owned by Charles Garvey and trained by Robertino Diodoro, is 4 for 4 at Turf Paradise, including winning this race last year and the Phoenix Gold Cup in March.
– additional reporting by Michael Hammersly
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