It’s the biggest day in Arizona horseracing. February 11th will feature some of the best thoroughbred horses in the southwest for Super Saturday at Turf Paradise.  Grandstand admission is just $3. Kids 16 and under get in for free.

The first 4,000 paid admissions will get a free T-shirt.Three stakes races and the Budweiser Classic will draw top competitors from all over the southwest with the purse money for all four races totaling more than $145,000.

There is also going to be a meet and greet with Turf Paradise’s female riders. Horseracing is one of the few professional sports in which men and women compete together.



The day features:

• Live Music
• A Kids Fun Park with bounce house inflatables, pony rides and face painting
• $3 bottled beer
• A BBQ Tent
  
• Free T-shirts while supplies last
• A full card of live horse racing

Super Saturday also includes these stakes races.

• The $75,000 Phoenix Gold Cup
• The $30,000 Turf Paradise Handicap
• The $30,000 Sun City Handicap

Turf Paradise General Manager Vincent Francia said, “Super Saturday offers the best of both worlds; some of the top horses in the southwest competing for more than $150,000 in four races. Plus we have a full day of affordable family fun.”
Monday February 20th is Presidents’ Day/ Dollar Day at Turf Paradise. General admission is $1. So are sodas, ice cream, hotdogs, popcorn, and programs. Draft beer is just $2
In addition to offering live local racing through May 7th the season also includes

Special Fiesta Sundays throughout the season featuring Mexican food and music
Wiener Dog Races March 11th
Camel and Ostrich Races March 25th
Kentucky Derby Party May 6th
Turf Paradise is Arizona’s first sports franchise, and has operated continuously at the same location at 19th Ave and Bell.  It offers one of the longest racing seasons in the United States thanks to Arizona’s great weather. Through Off Track Betting networks its races are viewed at OTB locations all over the United States and worldwide.

New Mexico shipper Chief Cicatriz, who has never tasted defeat in five lifetime starts, heads a competitive field of eight sprinters in the $30,000 Hank Mills, Sr., Stakes Saturday at Turf Paradise.
 
The Hank Mills, which will be run at 5 ½ furlongs, will go as the sixth race on the eight-race program. Post time will be 12:40 pm.
 
The now 4-year-old Chief Cicatriz broke his maiden at first asking as a 2-year-old in October of 2015. He was then given 11 months off till resurfacing in an allowance test at Zia Park in October of 2016. Despite the long layoff, Chief Cicatriz was sent postward the favorite and continued as the public choice in his next two victories, including a $65,000 stakes at Sunland Park, his most recent win on December 17.
 
Chief Cicatriz, a son of Munnings, turned in a bullet work (best of 12) for the Mills Stakes on January 16 of :35.1 for three furlongs.
 
Despite the front-running Chief Cicatriz’s impressive resume, several other speedsters are lined up to contest his command of the lead:
Masterful Stride: Finished second in his comeback allowance start December 28; commanded the lead in last year’s Phoenix Gold Cup before tiring to finish fourth.
Scat Daddybaby: Knows only one way to race: on the lead. The 7-year-old has been dominating at Emerald Downs, sporting eight wins and $130,611 in earnings; makes his first starts at Turf.
Saturdaynitelites: Has won three of eight efforts locally, primarily with on the pace tactics; sports 18 of 29 in the money efforts for $136,726 in earnings.
 
The Molly Pearson-trained Stoneys Mr Cruiser, an off the pace style runner is coming off two allowance wins, after failing to handle the turf in the Jack Coady Stakes.

Longshot Ten Carat Rock ran the race of his life by beating California shipper and prohibitive favorite Power Ped to win the $75,000 Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile Saturday at Turf Paradise.
 
The Cotton Ftizsimmons Mile is named in honor of the late coach and executive of the Phoenix Suns basketball team, who had an equal passion for horse racing. Fitzsimmons’ widow, JoAnn, accompanied by many former Suns players and local media friends, presented the winner’s trophy.
 
Ten Carat Rock, who was claimed for $5,000 three starts ago by owner-trainer Troy Smith and dismissed at 17-1, held off the furious charge of 2-5 choice Power Ped to win by a neck, in what was arguably the biggest race of the 6-year-old’s career. Veteran campaigner Red Zeus rallied from tenth and last to finish third in the field of 10 older horses.
 
Ridden by David M. Lopez, Ten Carat Rock ($37.60) was never more than a length off the lead set by Blue Bomber who tired to finish fourth. Power Ped, ridden by Stewart Elliot and trained by Neil Drysdale and who had won this race in 2015 for his lone victory in two racing seasons, could not close the gap, despite a perfect tracking, ground saving trip.
 
Ten Carat Rock covered the one mile over firm turf in 1:35.73 for his sixth victory in 21 outings. For earnings of $117,386. The son of Rock Slide is now a perfect two-for-two over the local turf course.
 
Glendale Handicap
Upset minded Peppy Miller ($27.40) with Daniel Vergara up, came from last to first, weaving her way a through cavalry charge of closing horses to win the Glendale by 1 ¾ lengths. Peach Time was second, a neck in front of French Alps who was third in the field of 11 fillies and mares.
 
Trained by Kevin Eikleberry, Peppy Miller covered the 1 1/16 miles over firm turf in 1:44.47 to notch her seventh win from 31 outings for earnings of $142,541.

Arizona’s premier race track, Turf Paradise, will celebrate its 61st Anniversary Saturday along with the 10th running of the $75,000 Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile.
 
The day will be celebrated with free long sleeve T-shirts to the first 4,500 patrons, free Kids Fun Park with multiple bounce inflatables and Free Birthday Cake.
 
The Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile, named after the late coach and executive of the Phoenix Suns, who loved a good basketball game with equal passion as a horse race, attracted a field of 10 for the eight furlong test on the turf course.
 
The supporting feature, the $30,000 Glendale Handicap, drew a field of 11 fillies and mares for the 1 1/16 miles over the lawn.
 
The Fitzsimmons Mile
The Neil Drysdale-trained Power Ped will be hoping for his second Fitzsimmons Mile victory, having won this race in 2015. It was in fact, Power Ped’s lone win in 2015 and then he went winless in six attempts in 2016. So, the 7-year-old is looking to get back to the winner’s circle.
 
Ride Hard Kowboy, consistent five wins from nine turf efforts locally, has finished in the money in his last four efforts including a win in the Walter Cluer Stakes, November 26. The 5-year-old tried the Fitzsimmons Mile last year but found himself boxed in at the eighth pole and from there finished sixth.
 
The French bred Aventador has been in the money in 10 of his last 12 starts. Though winless in two turf starts locally, Aventador has won four of 24 turf starts with seven seconds and four thirds.
 
The Glendale Handicap
Except for a disqualification from victory in the Queen of the Green Handicap, Ronda Rocks would be undefeated in three efforts locally. She bounced back from the DQ by winning in her next start, an allowance test, December 14.
 
Trained by Cindy Krasner, Ronda Rocks has done what few horses, male or female, can do on Turf’s grass course: and that’s go wire to wire. The 8-year-old mare by Rockport Harbor has never finished out of the money in six local turf efforts while winning four of them.
 
Detail won her first go over the local lawn after shipping in from Belmont Park on December 13. Trained by JJ Kruljac, the lightly raced daughter of City Zip has won four of 15 lifetime starts.

In dramatic photo-finish fashion, Shrewd Moved was a head best of Rockin Home in the $22,000 Tom Metzen Classic Memorial Sprint Saturday at Turf Paradise.
 
The race is named in honor of Tom Metzen, Sr., the late Executive Director of the Arizona Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA). Metzen, who also served in a similar HBPA capacity at Canterbury Park, devoted most of his life to serving horsemen and improving the sport of horse racing. He passed away in August.
 
Ridden by Jake Barton Shrewd Move ($7.40) got to the finish a head in time to hold off the fast closing Rockin Home. Mysterious Storm was two-lengths further back in third in the field of eight older horses.
 
Rockin Home is owned by Metzen’s granddaughter-in-law, Tamara Metzen.
 
Owned by Yeamans’ Racing Stable and trained by Dan McFarlane, Shrewd Move covered the 5 furlongs over a fast track in :57.45. Winning for the seventh time in 30 outings, the 5-year-old son of Closing Argument now has $161,208 in earnings

Named in honor of the late President of the Arizona Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA), the $22,000 Tom Metzen Classic Sprint Memorial will be featured Saturday at Turf Paradise.
 
The Metzen Sprint, which will go as the seventh race on the eight-race card, attracted a field of eight sprinters for the five furlong test. Post time will be 12:40 pm.
 
Metzen, who also served in a similar HBPA capacity at Canterbury Park, devoted most of his life to serving horsemen and improving the sport of horse racing.
 
Among the eight entrants is the highly accomplished Rockin Home, owned by Metzen’s granddaughter-in-law Tamara Metzen and trained by David Van Winkle. The son of speed merchant Rocky Bar, Rockin Home has won seven races, including the recent Cactus Wren Stakes, and has been in the money in 16 of 27 outings.
 
Expect competition from Alpine Luck, in search of his fourth consecutive victory; Castletown, coming off a three and one-half month layoff and Churchill Downs’ shipper Shrewd Move.