Now with an update to the update above, there is potential optimism from Arizona.
The new buyer for Turf Paradise racetrack in Phoenix will complete the deal within the next two months and plans to hold a live racing meet at the track at the beginning of 2024, if not sooner, Arizona racing officials said at a Department of Racing meeting on Thursday.
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The new buyer for Turf Paradise racetrack in Phoenix will complete the deal within the next two months and plans to hold a live racing meet at the track at the beginning of 2024, if not sooner, Arizona racing officials said at a Department of Racing meeting on Thursday.
The new buyer was identified as Frank Nickens by Turf Paradise’s general manager, Vincent Francia, and by the president of the Arizona Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, J. Lloyd Yother. Nickens approached Turf Paradise last week about buying the track after a potential sale collapsed 10 days ago, Francia and Yother said.
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The rapid emergence of the deal led Dave Auther, one of the owners of Arizona Downs in Prescott Valley – which has not run a live meet since 2022 – to question whether Turf Paradise was attempting to keep control over simulcasting revenues through the end of 2023 even though Simms had announced that the track was going to close. Under Arizona racing regulations, licensed permit-holders retain a share of the offtrack betting handle in the state, as well as the source-market fees generated by account-wagering handle.
“Has anyone vetted this person?” Auther asked the commission, referring to Nickens. “Does he need a permit? Is it going to be under Turf Paradise’s permit? What is going on? Because all we hear is that Turf Paradise is closing and Jerry is going to his place in California and retiring.”
In answer to Auther, Chuck Coolidge, chairman of the commission, said that “the buyer is still going to have to go through all the things they have to do” in order to get a license. Simms said that Nickens had already received licensing paperwork from the commission.
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Because of the new deal, the commission approved simulcast contracts with a number of tracks that will offer their simulcast signals in Arizona through the Nov. 12 date. In addition, it renewed the advanced-deposit wagering licenses for three account-wagering operators, two of which have authorization to operate in the state through an agreement with Turf Paradise.
As for a live race meet, Simms said that Nickens told him that the current plan would be to operate a live race meet in January. Turf Paradise has typically run a live race meet from early November to early May, and Simms said that Nickens might seek earlier race dates if the deal can be completed quickly.