Horsemen have reached a deal with the owners of Turf Paradise to continue live racing for the next three years.

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PHOENIX, AZ–MAY 15, 2024–According to an article by Matt Hegarty posted on the Daily Racing Form's website today, Arizona horsemen have reached a deal with the owners of Turf Paradise that will allow the track to race for the next three years.

State racing officials said Tuesday that the new deal will maintain approximately 100 days of racing each year. Previously the racetrack was expected to close last year.

According to Vince Francia, the track's longtime general manager, the three-year deal will guarantee four days of live racing each week from the first weekend in November to the first Saturday in May through 2027. That has been Turf Paradise's traditional racing season for decades.

A deal was reached following the close of this year’s abbreviated meet, which began in late January when the future of the track was still unclear. Turf Paradise owner Jerry Simms had announced last year that he did not intend to continue operating the track, but several efforts to sell the property fell through.

Francia said that Simms will continue to entertain offers to sell the track, though he has decided to limit development to the roughly 100 acres of the 213 total that are not used for racing.

"He wants racing to go on," Francia said. "Someone can come in and develop the rest of the property for whatever they want. This has been something of a roller-coaster ride for our horsemen this past year, and we kept hearing that they wanted certainty. That really resonated with me and Mr. Simms. They have families here, they have homes here, and kids in school here."