A couple of days ago we wrote you about a disastrous bill for horse racing in Arizona, House Bill 2547.  It is opposed by Turf Paradise. Proposed by a new horse racing track in Yavapai County, it seeks a radical change to state policy that would force our track to close after serving the State of Arizona for 62 years with thousands of jobs, hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact and the joy for the hundreds of thousands of visitors that come to Turf Paradise each year.   
 
Let's be clear.  We want this new track to be successful but not by changing state laws to help them at our expense.  
 
Fortunately, there is some new state legislation being introduced TODAY, supported by Turf Paradise and Rillito racetrack in Tucson, that would provide a good framework for all of these issues to be worked out, short of the harmful legislation that eliminate 40% of our business.  
 
From horse racing to dog shows, charitable events to Arizona's biggest Kentucky Derby party, we have loved serving this state.  Horse racing isn't an easy business these days.  Many tracks have closed.   But we have done and are doing everything possible to keep Turf Paradise an enjoyable, important part of the community with one of the longest race meets in the country. 
 
That's why we again ask you to take a moment and email Governor Doug Ducey as well as the Speaker of the House Rusty Bowers TODAY.  Let them know you OPPOSED HB2547.  Governor Ducey can be reached at engage@az.gov

 Speaker Bowers at RBowers@azleg.gov.
 
Thank you for your help!  We want to be here for and with you for many more years to come.  

Fittingly local ‘Horse of the Meet’ Spooky Channel put in a gallant highweight victory performance in the turf marathon Hasta La Vista Handicap to bring the 63rd racing season to a close Sunday at Turf Paradise.
 
“The 130-day session at times seemed like a marathon,” said general manager Vincent Francia. “But all the hard work by Team Turf was worth it.”
 
Total In-state handle, which comprises on-track and OTB handle, was up 5% to $70,349,780 from previous season’s $67,026,757. On track handle remained basically even with $16,791,100 to previous season’s $16,765,805. However, the OTB system showed growth with a 7% jump from $67,026,757 to $70,349,780.
 
Out-of-state handle was off 5%, $143,646,074 compared to last season’s $151,694,855.
 
“We lost two days due to rain,” said Francia, “and five days where our turf races had to be moved to off tracks, reducing field size due to scratches. It’s our turf racing which is so popular with our out-of-state horseplayers.”
 
A total of 1,040 live races were run in the recently completed season, 188 of them turf races. There were 7,740 starters.
 
Also, incidences of catastrophic injuries to horses dropped considerably this meet.
 
“We are coordinating with the Division of Racing to release the data soon,” said Francia. “But the fatalities are down considerably from the previous season when the numbers spiked past the national average.”
 
Turf Paradise is scheduled to open in mid-October.

Spooky Channel proved why he was voted local Horse of the Meet by carrying 126 pound high weight to victory in the one mile and seven-eighths, $30,000 Hasta la Vista Handicap, bringing the 63rd racing season to a close Sunday at Turf Paradise.
 
Forwardly placed from the start of the marathon turf race, Spooky Channel ($3.20) got a nose in front of last year’s winner Stratton, to which he was conceding 7 pounds, with Arizona Moon finishing third in the field of ten older horses.
 
Trained by Clay Brinson and ridden to the moment by leading rider Francisco Arrieta, the Terry Hamilton-owned Spooky Channel covered the distance in 3:10.61 to remain undefeated in five outings this year. The 4-year-old English Channel gelding has finished no worse than second in 8 career efforts.
 
$50,000 Turf Paradise Spring Futurity
The Molly Pearson-trained Bootytama ($4.80) remained undefeated in two starts by posting an impressive 5-length victory over By the Way with Last Punch third in the field of eight 2-year-olds.
 
Owned by Jeremy Ramsland, Bottytama covered the 5-furlongs in :57.04
 
Leaders
Francisco Arrieta led the jockeys’ colony with 194 wins, the second highest number of victories for a rider since Pat Steinberg’s record of 229 wins in 1988.
 
Robertino Diodoro captured his sixth consecutive trainers’ title with 68 victories. And Robert Garvey, one of Diodoro’s major owners, led all owners with 34 tallies.

Spooky Channel, recently voted Horse of the Meet, has been assigned 126 pound highweight for the traditional closing day feature, the $30,000 Hasta La Vista Handicap Sunday at Turf Paradise.
 
Spooky Channel, who out polled Phoenix Gold Cup winner Minister of Soul and Cotton Fitzsimmons victor Ohio (who went on to win a Grade I race at Santa Anita) for Horse of the Meet honors, will be conceding from 7 to 14 pounds to 11 rivals for the one mile and seven-eighths turf marathon, Hasta La Vista Handicap.
 
The co-feature will be the $30,000 Turf Paradise Spring Futurity which attracted a field of 11, 2-year-olds for the 5 furlong sprint. Closing day will offer Free Grandstand admission and the post time will be 1:25 pm.
 
The Hasta La Vista
Trainer Clay Brinson was not thrilled with Spooky Channel’s weight assignment, but he also understood it.
 
“’Spooky’ is a perfect four-for-four this year on the grass, including two stakes wins,” said Brinson. “And he’s finished no worse than second with five wins in seven starts here at Turf. So I get the highweight assignment. Still, at the distance, that’s a lot of weight to give away.”
 
Wonderfully bred for the grass, Spooky Channel, who is by English Channel out of the Kitten’s Joy mare Spooky Kitten, was purchased out of the 2016 Keeneland sale for $10,000 by owner Terry Hamilton. The 4-year-old Spooky Channel will be ridden by the meet’s Leading rider, Francisco Arrieta.
 
Among the entrants is last year’s winner Stratton and Pacific Nights who finished second in this race in 2016.
 
Turf Paradise Spring Futurity
Of the ten entrants, six are fillies, and only two have their maiden wins, Arizona Sun and Bootytama, both fillies.