Wiener dog racing returns to Turf Paradise Saturday March 7th. The day also features a full card of live local horseracing. The first Wiener dog race is 11:30am. First post time for the horses is 12:55pm. There’s also a parade of wieners and a wiener dog fashion show. 

In addition to horsepower and paw power, there is also live music, a kids fun park, food and drink specials including $2 hot dogs and $3 beer. 

The Wiener dog races are sponsored by Arizona Adopt a Greyhound. The organization is devoted to finding homes for retired race dogs across the United States uses the proceeds to care for and transport retired race dogs to their new homes.
 
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 which Wiener dogs display their fashion sense as they stroll on the “Dogwalk.”

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


Wiener Dog owners who want to race their pooch can follow this link.  The deadline to enter is 7pm March 5th. Fashion show contestants can register the day of the event. Here are some video highlights of last year’s Wiener Dog races.
 
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.

Upset minded Swagsational closed late to take the $50,000 Turf Paradise Derby and The Adrie Factor delivered a popular victory in the $30,000 Arizona Oaks Saturday at Turf Paradise.
 
Ridden by the up and coming Kassie Guglielmino, Swagsational ($19.00) watched the race unfold in front of him and then pounced late to overtake stablemates Wicked Winnings and the favored Race Home to win by three-quarters of a length in the field of nine 3-year-olds.
 
Owned by Keith Swagerty and trained by Heath Lawrence, Swagsational, a son of Gallant Son, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.50 for his third consecutive win and his second consecutive stakes victory in 10 lifetime starts.
 
$30,000 Arizona Oaks
The Adrie Factor ($4.20) bided her time under Heribert Martinez while pace-setter and eventual runnerup Our Magic Moment clicked off the early splits. The strategy paid off with a 3 ¼ length victory. Tarfficiskillingme rallied to finish third in the field of seven 3-year-old fillies.
 
Owned by Harley Kowalsky and trained by Jonathan Wong, the Golden Gate shipper The Adrie Factor, who was scoring her fourth win in eight outings and here second consecutive stakes tally, covered the one mile in 1:39.00.

Three-year-olds will be in the spotlight in the $50,000 Turf Paradise Derby and $30,000 Arizona Oaks Saturday.
 
            The Arizona Oaks, to be run at one mile drew a field of seven fillies while the Turf Paradise Derby attracted a field of nine and will be run at 1 1/16 miles. Post time is set for 12:55 pm.
 
Arizona Oaks, 5th Race
The Adrie Factor was installed the overwhelming 2-5 morning line favorite. And with good reason. The Jonathan Won-trained, northern California shipper cruised into Turf Paradise Jan. 25 and took down the Jack Coady Stakes with ease. Prior to that the daughter of The Factor won two of three efforts at Golden Gate plus a runner up effort there in a $75,000 stakes.
 
Intriguing is Canadian import Catchacougar (7-2) trained by Phil Hall who’s won three of four outings north of the border including the Princess Margaret Stakes.
 
The Dan McFarlane-trained Our Magic Moment broke her maiden going a mile but then got bumped at the start of the Jack Coady Stakes and could only manage a fourth place finish.
 
Turf Paradise Derby, 8th Race
Arizona Jeremy (3-1) and Race Home (5-2) have done everything right. Arizona Jeremy has been in the money in 6 or 7 outings, including an impressive win over Race Home in the Lost in the Fog Stakes. Arizona Jeremy’s recent effort, and his first outing as a 3-year-old for trainer Molly Pearson, was a third place finish in Sunland Park’s $104,000 Riley Allison Derby at one mile.
 
Race Home has had four fewer races than Arizona Jeremy but he’s won at today’s distance of 1 1/16 when winning Emerald Downs’ $100,000 Futurity. The Manny Ortiz-trained son of Race Day will be making his first start as a 3-year-old.
 
But this race appears more wide open than just a two-horse grudge match.
Swagsational (9-2), after going winless in seven maiden efforts broke his maiden at Turf as a sophomore than followed that with a win in the Startac Stakes on the turf.
Hondo Lane (8-1), trained by Shawn Davis comes off an 11-length maiden win at Zia Park in late November.
And the Kevin Eikleberry-trained Herzen ships in from Zia Park having just broke his maiden by 4 ½ lengths.

Mr. Jagermeister had a message for two previous winners of Saturday’s 64th running of the $75,000 Phoenix Gold Cup at Turf Paradise: I’m now the best sprinter on the grounds.
 
With Leandro Goncalves up Mr. Jagermeister ($5.60) beat last year’s winner Minister of Soul by three-quarters of a length with two-time Gold Cup winner Chief Cicatriz third in the field of eight older horses.
 
Owned by Kristin Boice, Leslie Cummings and Valorie Lund and trained by Lund, Mr. Jagerneister covered the 6-furlongs in 1:08.2.
 
It was the 11th career win for Mr. Jagermeister, who finished third in this race last year. The 5-year-old son of Atta Boy Roy now has over $547,000 in earnings
 
$30,000 Sun City Handicap
The ever-patient Kassie Guglielmino bided her time aboard Chance to Shine ($16.00) as pace-setters favored True To Herself and Unique Factor cut fast early splits, then went on to post a 2 ½  length victory over fast-closing longshot Deputy Dora with Unique Factor holding third in the field of seven fillies and mares. Golden Gate shipper and favorite Chance to Shine finished fourth.
 
Owned by Peggy Thompson and trained by Dan McFarlane, Chance to Shine captured her second stakes tally of the season and now has won six of 12 outings. Chance to Shine covered the one mile over firm turf in 1:35.0.
 
$30,000 Turf Paradise Handicap
With a sweeping last to first move by Enrique Garcia aboard Clear the Mine ($23.40) caught Primo Touch at the wire with the pace-setting Gato Guapo third in the field of eight older horses.
 
Trained by Jose Luna Silva for owner Tyree Wolesensky, Clear the Mine covered the 1 1/16 miles over the lawn in 1:40.52.

Last year’s champion and a two-time winner of this race are among nine sprinters lined up for the $75,000 Phoenix Gold Cup Saturday at Turf Paradise.
 
The Gold Cup is part of a Super Saturday trio of stakes which also include the $30,000 Turf Paradise Handicap and $30,000 Sun City Handicap. The 8-race card will have a post time of 12:40 pm.
 
Fan amenities include a free T-shirt to the first 5,000 fans, a Meet & Greet with riders autographing a complimentary jockey colony photo, bull dog racing and fashion show, a Kids’ Fun Park with free multiple bounce inflatables and pony rides and live music provided by the popular duo Dok and Gal.
 
Phoenix Gold Cup, 6 furlongs, 7th Race
Chief Cicatriz, one of two consecutive Gold Cup winners (2017-2018) and last year’s winner Minister of Soul are among the 9 sprinters with trophy eyes on a win in the track’s marquee sprint race. Another with previous Gold Cup experience is the talented Mr. Jägermeister, who finished third in this race last year.
 
Looking for a three-peat, Chief Cicatriz has been installed the even-money morning-line favorite. The Shawn Davis-trained son of Munnings has rattled off four consecutive stakes victories, one at Turf and three in New Mexico. A Grade 3 winner of Churchill Downs’ Aristides Stakes, ‘The Chief’ likes to play the game close to the lead, daring any competitor to challenge his speed and stamina.
 
Minister of Soul (10-1) has managed only won victory in ten starts since his Gold Cup win and that was in an optional claiming event in Albuquerque. However, his three 5-furlong workouts at Turf, two of them bullet works, suggest he may be coming into the Gold Cup in peak form.
 
Mr. Jägermeister (5-2) finished fourth in his most recent start to Grade 1 winner Ohio in the Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile on the turf. Although the son of Atta Boy Roy has won on the grass, nine of his 10 lifetime wins have come on the dirt. The Fitzsimmons was Mr. Jägermeister’s first start off a two month layoff. He followed that effort with two bullet 5 furlong workouts.
 
Shipping in from Santa Anita is Royal Trump, who’s won four of nine efforts in 2019 primarily against high-priced southern California claimers.
 
Sun City Handicap, 1 Mile, Turf, 5th race
A field of seven fillies and mares is headed by Golden Gate shipper True to Herself (2-1). The Irish bred mare by Clodovil won two of six efforts last year, alternating between grass and synthetic surface.
 
Several credible locals will give the shipper all she can handle: Kool Kate, winner of the Glendale Handicap; Unique Factor, winner of the Kachina; Chance to Shine, winner of the Queen of the Green and Tee Em Eye, winner of the Phoenix and second in the recent Sun Devil Sprint.
 
Turf Paradise Handicap, 1 1/16, Turf, 8th Race
Super Saturday will not go out with a whimper as a field of eight, headed by the ultra-consistent Arizona Moon (2-1) takes to the grass in the day’s finale.
 
Arizona Moon got the locals cheering heartily when he gave Grade 1 winner Ohio all he could handle in the Fitzsimmons Mile, losing by a neck. The 7-year-old son of Macho Uno, trained by Stacy Campo, who rallies late and strong, has been in the money in 14 of 20 outings with four victories over the local turf course.
 
Gato Guapo (9-5) finished second to eventual local Horse of the Meet Spooky Channel (who recently won Gulfstream Park’s Grade 3 McKnight Stakes), in this race last year, losing by a diminishing head. Gato Guapo won the Walter Cluer Memorial in November.
 
Clear the Mine (7-2) is coming off back-to-back local wins after shipping in from southern California. A son of Mineshaft, it will be his first start over the local lawn.