It’s a day of racing like no other as camels, ostriches and zebras join the horses at Turf Paradise for a one-of-a-kind day at the races Saturday March 17th.
 
While you can’t bet on the camel, ostrich and zebra racing, you can still bet on the horses.
 
Camels, ostriches, and zebras race competitively but they are far less cooperative than the horses.
Here are some highlights from last year.   
 
 In addition to one of a kind racing the day also features:

• Live Music
  
• $3 bottled Beer
• A Kids Fun Park with Bounce House Inflatables
• A full card of traditional horse racing and, of course, you can bet on them!

Grandstand admission is $3 and kids 16 and under getting in for free.

The event is co- sponsored by the Arizona Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. 

Turf Paradise General Manager Vincent Francia said, “The camels, ostriches and zebra are fan favorites. I just hope the horses don’t get jealous.”
 
 
In addition to offering live local racing through May 6th, the season also includes Fiesta Sundays featuring Mexican food and music March 25th and April 29th; and a Kentucky Derby Party May 5th

Turf Paradise is Arizona’s first sports franchise, and has operated continuously at the same location at 19th Ave and Bell since 1956.  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.

While Primo Touch swept to victory in the $50,000 Turf Paradise Derby, crowd favorite Gorgeous Ginny glided to a popular win in the $30,000 Arizona Oaks Saturday at the track.
 
Primo Touch, ($15.40) ridden by Andrew Ramgeet made a sweeping and daring move around rivals with a half- mile remaining and went on to prevail by 3 ½ lengths over Fortified Effort with Bocephus third in the field of 10 3-year-olds.
 
Owned by Dino Bates and trained by Dan McFarlane, Primo Touch was winning for the fourth time in 11 outings and in garnering the winner’s share of $29,450 raised his career earnings to $77,977. The son of Midas Touch covered the 1 1/16 mile in 1:44.30.
 
In winning this race for the third time McFarlane leads all trainers in victories over 32 runnings.
 
Arizona Oaks
Making winning look easy once again, the 1/9 prohibitive favorite Gorgeous Ginny ($2.10)
won her third consecutive stakes with Glenn Corbett along for the 5 ¾ length victory.  Foggia finished second and I’m the Queen third in the field of 10 3-year-old fillies.
 
Owned by Randy Howg and trained by Robertino Diodoro, Gorgeous Ginny, who was winning for the fourth time in six outings raced the one mile in 1:37.32. The daughter of Take Charge Indy now has $115,116 in career earnings.
 

It’s the ultimate dog and pony show!  Winners and Wieners: Wiener Mania, the largest Wiener Dog race in Arizona, returns Turf Paradise Saturday March 3rd. The day will also feature a full card of live horseracing.
 


Sponsored by Arizona Adopt a Greyhound, the Wiener Dogs will be racing from 11:30am to 5pm.
Prior to the races there will be a Parade of Wieners where all of the dogs entered to race will parade on the main track. The day also features a canine fashion show in wiener dogs display their fashion sense as they stroll on the “Dogwalk.”
 

And while you can’t bet on the Wiener dogs you can bet on the horse races and Turf Paradise will have a full card of racing on Wiener Mania.


The day also features live music and food and drink specials, a family fun park, including $3 beer and $2 hot dogs. Grandstand admission is just $3.
 
 
Wiener Dog owners who want to race their pooch can follow this link to enter.
 
Here are some video highlights of last year’s Wiener Dog races.
 
In addition to offering live local racing through May 6th the season also includes
 
Special Fiesta Sundays on the last Sunday of the month featuring Mexican food and music
Camel and Ostrich Races March 17th
Kentucky Derby Party May 5th
 
Turf Paradise General Manager Vince Francia said, “The Wiener dogs may not break any speed records at the track but they sure are a fan favorite. The day represents the ultimate combination of paw power and horsepower.”
 
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.

Aspiring three-year-olds, looking to pad their resumes, will be featured in the $50,000 Turf Paradise Derby and $30,000 Arizona Oaks Saturday at the track.
 
The Turf Paradise Derby, carded as the eighth of eight races, attracted a field of 10 colts and geldings, for the 1 1/16 miles test. The Arizona Oaks, co-featured as the seventh race, drew a field and ten fillies, for the one mile test. Post time will be 12:55 pm.
 
The 32nd running of the Turf Paradise Derby
Local talent runs deep with a nod to the Kevin Eikleberry-trained Fortified Effort due to his double stakes wins and $137,298 bankroll, which far and away leads all other entrants. A winner of four of eight starts, including Turf’s Sales Stakes and Breeders’ Futurity, the son of multiple stakes winner Ez Effort, finished third in his most recent outing – and first at two turns - in Sunland Park’s $106,000 Riley Ailson Stakes.
 
Dan McFarlane, who won this race twice in 2016 and 2014, has entered three horses:  Primo Touch, Soul of Discretion and Oh Brother Jack. Primo Touch appears the sharpest of the three, with a field best 87 Beyer in his most recent start a 12 ¼ length romp in the Startac Stakes.
 
Molly Pearson, winner of this race in 2017, sends forth Bocephus, a tough but hard-luck competitor who’s still a maiden but finished second three times in four career starts.
 
The 27th running of the Arizona Oaks
There are two questions about the Oaks that may portend to its outcome: First, Will Foggia regain her form? And will Gorgeous Ginny retain hers?
 
Trained by McFarlane, Foggia won her maiden at first asking at Turf Paradise, and then quickly followed that win with a tally in the $93,000 ATBA Sales stakes and then a second in the Arizona Breeders’ Futurity. Her last and most recent effort was a fourth place finish in the Arizona Juvenile Fillies. This will be her first start as a 3-year-old and her first try at two turns.
 
Gorgeous Ginny, trained by leading trainer Robertino Diodoro, broke her maiden at first asking as the favorite at Santa Anita, then followed with a runner-up finish in that track’s $100,000 Landaluce stakes. She followed that effort with a third place finish in the $100,000 California Breeders’ stakes before winning Turf’s Arizona Juvenile stakes to complete her 2-year-old season. The daughter of Take Charge Indy won her first start as a 3-year-old, the Jack Coady stakes at 7 ½  furlongs on the turf by a comfortable 2 ½ lengths to remain undefeated in two outings at Turf. She is the one to beat. Diodoro won this race twice in 2014 and 2013.  

Bill Straus, former KTAR host and regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, passed away Saturday night after battling pancreatic cancer.

Straus, 69, was originally diagnosed in late 2017.

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton took to social media to pay his respects to Straus.

“Bill Straus made our community better for everyone and his passing is a huge loss,” Stanton wrote on Twitter. “His KTAR radio show shared inspiring stories that touched us all. As head of the ADL, he worked with Phoenix police to fight hate crimes and provide support to victims. We will miss him dearly.”

In the 1990s, Straus was on the airwaves as the host of KTAR’s Straus Place. The radio show ran for eight years and covered numerous topics during that time, usually stirring up debates. In 2017, he was a part of the Tip of the Hat to Pat McMahon roast.

Before he was a radio host, he worked at Turf Paradise as a horse-racing announcer.
After his eight-year stint with the station, Straus took over as the regional director of the ADL after already being honored by the organization and working some of its functions.

He inspired others with his work, including Rana Singh Sodhi, who used his brother’s death following 9/11 to help educate people on the Sikh culture. His brother was shot and killed after someone was trying to retaliate against the terrorists who caused the tragedy. Straus spent 13 years as regional director before retiring in 2014.