A few months after announcing his retirement and the closure of Turf Paradise, a longtime horse racing track in north Phoenix, track owner Jerry Simms said he has changed his mind.
He now wants to operate Turf Paradise, located at 1501 W. Bell Road, for a shortened 2024 racing season that could start as early as January 29 and run through early May based on approval by the Arizona Racing Commission.
"I made the decision a day or so ago," he told the Business Journal on Dec. 1.
On its social media accounts, a bulletin for the Arizona Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association said Friday that it was in the process of completing a contract to be sent to Turf Paradise for the 2024 race season and that a request had been sent to the racing commission for an emergency commission meeting.
On Tuesday, December 5, the Arizona Racing Commission approved by a unanimous 4-0 vote, Turf Paradise’s request for a race meet in 2024. The track announced that it will host a 57-day live meet, running from January 29 through May 4.
