Turf Paradise
  • RACING
    • LIVE RACING >
      • Program
      • Race Replays & Live Video
      • Entries & Results
      • Changes & Scratches
      • Stakes Schedule
      • Workouts
      • Track Information
    • SIMULCAST RACING >
      • OTB Finder
      • On & Off Track Simulcast Schedule
      • Simulcast Results
    • HORSEMEN >
      • Owner View
      • Condition Book
      • Thoroughbred Index
      • Quarter Horse Index
      • Overnight
      • Program
      • Claims Report
      • Stakes Schedule
      • Historical Charts
      • Jockeys/Agents
      • Stall Application
      • Horsemen's Bookkeeper
      • Incompass Account Information
      • Equine Pool
      • Track Kitchen
      • Chaplaincy
  • OFF TRACK BETTING
    • OTB FINDER
    • ON & OFF TRACK SIMULCAST SCHEDULE
    • SIMULCAST RESULTS
    • OTB INFORMATION
  • LATEST NEWS
    • LATEST NEWS
  • TRACK INFO
    • DIRECTIONS & PARKING
    • GENERAL INFORMATION >
      • Admission & Seating
      • Hotels - Airport
      • Track Information
      • Turf History
      • Employment Opportunities
      • Contact Us
    • FACILITY AREAS >
      • Grandstand
      • Clubhouse
      • Turf Club
      • Players' Club
      • Directors' Suite
    • FOOD & DRINK >
      • Turf Club
      • Clubhouse
      • Grandstand
      • Food & Drink Specials
  • VIDEOS
  • GROUP SALES
    • CORPORATE/SOCIAL EVENTS >
      • Information & Venues
      • Current Group Specials
      • Group Event Photos
    • RIDE & DRIVE EVENTS
    • CORPORATE OPPORTUNITIES
  • NEW FAN
    • ESSENTIALS OF HORSE RACING
    • BETTING 101
    • HOW TO READ THE PROGRAM
    • HOW TO READ THE RACING FORM
    • RACING GLOSSARY
    • RESPONSIBLE WAGERING

Trainer Kevin Eikleberry, Looking for the Next Champion at Horse Sales

9/28/2018

 
There is more than one way to get involved in race horse ownership.
 
You can purchase a race horse privately and then turn it over to a trainer. You can have a trainer purchase a horse out of claiming race and get started in the business that way.
 
You can do it yourself by breeding a mare and stallion, then watch your horse grow up, and then hopefully get it to the race track for its maiden race.
 
Or you can purchase a horse, most often a yearling or two-year-old, at a sale.
 
Trainer Kevin Eikleberry has done all of the above, but the one he’s most adept at is, selecting and purchasing a yearling at a horse sale and developing it into a talent for its owner. Eikleberry’s skills with horses purchased at sales and his stable of 36 horses will again be on display as Turf Paradise opens its 131-day meet, October 13.
 
“I’ve been doing this for over 35 years,” said Eikleberry, referring to scouting, evaluating and purchasing talent at horse sales. “I go to the Keeneland yearling sales and the Arizona Breeders’ sale each year. I enjoy it, but it’s also hard work.”
 
Eikleberry may have an advantage over most of those hoping to find the next Kentucky Derby or Breeders’ Cup winner at a horse sale. In as much as each horse has a breeding line, Eikleberry has a lineage that precedes him in the horse business. Eikleberry’s grandfather, Guy, and his dad, Calvin, were horse trainers.
 
“Both my dad and grandad trained and raced horses at Centennial,”  said Eikleberry of the now closed Colorado track. “They would race at Oaklawn (Arkansas) and then make the meet at Centennial. Then they would go back to being ranchers.”
 
Growing up on a spacious three-sections of lush farmland near Springfield, Colorado, Eikleberry developed an affinity for horses.
 
“I loved the horses more than the steers and hogs,” said Eikleberry, who sat on his first horse at age two and who once had thoughts of being a jockey. “I liked to eat too much,” he admitted. “So being a jockey was not really an option.” No matter. Eikleberry’s son, Ry, who is approaching his 2,000th career win as a jockey, fulfilled that dream.
 
Eikleberry’s first victory came in 1979 with a filly named Bronco Mania. The 2-year-old miss went on to win four races in a row, including Centennial’s Molly Brown Stakes and the prestigious $100,000 Gold Rush Futurity against the boys.
 
“You always remember your first winner,” said Eikleberry, who is just 21 wins shy of his own milestone: 1,000 wins as a trainer. “Racing was now in my blood.”
 
Married, raising a family and with Centennial about to close, Eikleberry first came to Turf Paradise in 1980. Settling near the race track, the Eikleberry clan then moved to Cave Creek, a small equestrian community about 18 miles north of the Phoenix-based track, where the family has maintained an active horse raising and training ranch for the past 26 years.
 
“Training and developing each horse’s talent is something I enjoy and take pride in, not only for myself but for my owners as well,” said Eikleberry. “That’s why I continue to go to the sales.”
 
Eikleberry employs three standards when evaluating a horse at auction.
 
“Confirmation is number one,” said Eikleberry. “I’m looking for balance in the horse’s physique. Secondly I want to see the horse’s athletic talents: does he walk, run and stride out well. And third, I examine the pedigree. Who were his parents and what did they accomplish on the race track? I rate each category 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest.”
 
There’s another factor Eikleberry weighs before making a bid.
 
“What is the owner willing to pay?” said Eikleberry. “My three points of evaluation have to matchup with what the owner‘s willing to pay. I’m evaluating the horse on whether or not it can win enough races to reach its purchase price.”
 
At the 1993 Keeneland sale, a yearling up for auction by rising sire Gone West, was not catching any buyers’ attentions except for Eikleberry.
 
“He may not have hit the 10 on my three rating scales, but there was something about this horse that held my interest,” said Eikleberry, who made the winning bid of $6,000.
 
The horse would be called Da Hoss and it would go onto to win 12 of 20 starts, including two $1,000,000 Breeders’ Cup Mile Turf races and earn $1.9 million.
 
After Da Hoss won the Arizona Sales Stakes in 1994 as a 2-year-old in an eye-catching 1:07.1 for 6 furlongs, Eikleberry’s phone rang off the hook.
 
“I got over 30 calls from interested parties,” said Eikleberry. “It was amazing.
 
Eventually Da Hoss was sold to Prestonwood Farm (for considerably more than his $6,000 purchase price) for an 85% interest, while original owners Wallstreet Racing Stable and Eikleberry retained a 15% interest. Da Hoss left Eikleberry’s care and was turned over to trainer Michael Dickinson.
 
Da Hoss’ most memorable feat was when after being away from the races for two years, he had one prep race and then came back to win his second Breeders’ Cup Mile Turf in 1998. The BC race was so dramatic that announcer Tom Durkin was given to exclaim as Da Hoss stormed to victory in deep stretch, “Oh, my, this is the greatest comeback since Lazarus!”
 
“Every year I go to the Keeneland sales I stop by Kentucky Horse Retirement Park and say hello to Da Hoss,” said Eikleberry.
 
Eikleberry’s recent stars-on-the-rise are Keeneland yearling purchases that are showing promise.
 
“Prince Pierce broke his maiden at first asking then finished second in a stakes at Prairie Meadows,” said Eikleberry. “And Sammy’s Dream just broke his maiden at Canterbury.”
 
Eikleberry’s good fortune at the horse sales is not confined to just Keeneland. His sharp eye for talent has also found success at the annual Arizona Breeders’ Sale.
 
The recently completed 2017-2018 Turf Paradise race meet saw his locally purchased Yo Y Me and Fortified Effort win out their auction prices.
 
“We purchased Yo Y Me for $17,000 and Fortified Effort for $35,000,” said Eikleberry. “Both went on to win over $200,000.”
 
Ever on the lookout for the next Diamond in the Rough, Eikleberry made three purchases at the recent Keeneland sales: a Constitutional colt for $90,000; a Tapazar colt for $40,000 and a Bodiemeister filly for $30,000.
 
“Before I got Da Hoss I was looking for one like him,” said Eikleberry. “Then I got him and it was better than I thought. Now I’m looking for the next Da Hoss.”
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Going for the Records as Turf Paradise Readies to Open 63rd Season

9/27/2018

 
Every sport has its records, its benchmarks achieved by its respective athletes.
 
Horse racing is no exception.
 
With Turf Paradise readying to kick off its 131-day race meet October 13, a few records to better will be in the bullseye. Racing will be conducted primarily on a 5-day a week basis, Saturday thru Wednesday, with post time of 12:55 pm.
 
Robertino Diodoro was the first trainer since Richard Hazelton, who dominated the division from 1970-1976 (with 8 consecutive titles), to win more than three consecutive titles. Diodoro will be going for his sixth consecutive title overall. Hazelton holds the overall record with 16 titles.
 
Among jockeys, Scott Stevens is in a league by himself after winning his ninth and record breaking title last season. Stevens had been tied with Jim Powell with eight titles each. Stevens, at 55, is still peaking and showing no signs of slowing down from when he won his first title in 1992.  Stevens best single season win mark is 186 victories in 1997. The record is held by the late Pat Steinberg with 229 wins in 1988.
 
Right out of the gate on opening day, Top 10 trainer Valorie Lund, will be looking to become the first trainer to be a three-time winner of the Bienvenidos Stakes in 23 runnings. A week later on October 20, Jeff Metz will be looking to become the first three-time consecutive winner with possible BCZ Middelton – who won this race the past two years - of the Princess of Palms Stakes.
 
Then on February 9, in the $75,000 Phoenix Gold Cup, which will be celebrating its 63rd running, the Shawn Davis-trained Chief Cicatriz, is expected to aspire to be the first three-time consecutive winner of the track’s prestigious sprint stakes.
 
 
 

Ramiro Flores, Keeping the Track and Turf Safe for the Horses

9/14/2018

 
One could say Ramiro Flores likes to play in the sand, and somewhat like Johnny Appleseed,  he enjoys scattering seeds about the land to generate lush pastures of emerald grasses.
 
Actually Flores, who serves as Turf Paradise’s track and turf course superintendent, takes his job super seriously. He’s not given to romanticizing the importance and responsibility of what he does.
 
“The goal of everything we do is to keep the dirt and grass courses safe for the horses that race over them,” said Flores. “A good day of racing for us is when horses and riders get around safely.”
 
Right now it’s all hands on deck for Flores and his dirt and turf crews of eight persons each, what with Turf Paradise’s 63rd racing season scheduled to open October 13.  The track is set to receive 1,800 horses into its 68 stables, so both the dirt and grass courses must be ready not only for the 131 days of racing but for the additional 100 days of training that go on daily, which begin September 15.
 
“Every year we replace the dirt course with fresh sand and the grass course is reseeded,” said Flores, who prior to Turf Paradise served as track superintendent at Evangeline Downs in Louisiana for a year. “It’s a science, a precise balance between sand and water for the dirt course and the right seed, water and aeration for the turf course.”
 
Flores’ “Tonka” equipment of the trade are tractors, a blade, water trucks and scrapper and two harrows. Each piece of equipment performs a particular function, with each function complementing the other. Each harrow, pulled around the one mile dirt oval by a tractor, is 18’ x 7’ in dimension and each contains 128, three-foot long, 5/8th inch steel teeth.
 
“The harrows groom the track,” said Flores. “They keep the dirt surface smooth, even and safe for the next race and for training in the morning.”
 
The one mile, 90-foot wide dirt course receives 1,500 tons of #10 mesh sand and then 480 cubic yards of bark before being mixed together multiple times.
 
“The #10 mesh is a superfine grain sand, not coarse, to prevent horses from running down on their feet and ankles,” said Flores. “The bark is mixed in, allowing the surface to retain moisture  and to give the sand bounce.”
 
The seven-furlong, 70’ foot wide turf course with its one mile and an eighth chute requires a different process and a lot of TLC.
 
“Seed and plenty of water and constant attention to replacing divots after each race is essential to maintaining the turf year long,” said Flores. “And periodic aeration to allow the earth to breathe causing the grass to deep root, is a must.”
 
The turf course receives 200 tons of sand which serves to breakdown the organic material so that the 3,000 pound of rye grass seed has every chance to germinate and thrive, making it appear that horses and jockeys are gliding quietly, as if sound has been muted, over a green carpet.
 
“Both surfaces require daily attention and repair because of the wear and tear,” said Flores. “Each and every horse getting around safe and sound is a win for us.”
 

First of 1,700 Horses Arrive, Training Begins Saturday, September 15

9/12/2018

 
The first of many vans carrying an expected 1,700 horses arrived today to Turf Paradise’s stable area as the track gets ready for its 63rd racing season.
 
A 131-day meet will run from October 13 thru May 5. Racing will be conducted primarily on a 5-day a week basis, Saturday thru Wednesday. Gates open at 11am and the first post time is 12:55.
 
The top 10 trainers are confirmed returning, including Robertino Diodoro, who will be seeking his sixth consecutive leading trainer’s title. Eight new outfits, half of them from Canada, are expected to join the contingent of 150 total trainers.
 
The main track will open for training Saturday, September 15. Throughout the remainder of the month training hours will be from 5:00-9:00 am to avoid the horses training in 90-degree-plus temperatures of the warm Arizona mornings. Training will revert to the regular hours of 6:00-10:00 am in October.

New Racing Secretary, Wager for the Upcoming Turf Paradise Meet

9/12/2018

 
A new Racing Secretary and a new seeded Pick 6 wager will greet horseplayers as Turf Paradise readies to open its 63rd racing season.
 
The 131-day meet will run from October 13 thru May 5. Racing will be conducted primarily on a 5-day a week basis, Saturday thru Wednesday. Gates open at 11am and the first post time is 12:55. Grandstand admission is $3, Clubhouse and Turf Club $5 and general parking is free. 

Turf Paradise will also be holding ceremonies throughout opening day honoring veterans, Native America veterans and first responders in addition to offering free grandstand admission to veterans, active military, as well as police officers and fire fighters.  Beneficiaries of these events will be MCLEF (Marine Corp Law Enforcement Foundation) and the Southwest Indian Foundation.
 
“Opening Day is a festive, celebrating the return of the horses,” said track general manger Vincent Francia. “We felt it appropriate to use the occasion to recognize and honor those that have served and those who keep us safe on a daily basis.”
 
Robbie Junk will sit in a Racing Secretary’s chair he’s totally familiar with, having served in that capacity at this track in 2000 and as assistant Racing Secretary until 2011. Since that year Junk has served as Racing Secretary for Sunland Park and since 2016 for Canterbury Downs.
 
The new wager, which will be seeded with a guaranteed $25,000 carryover pool beginning opening day, is the Grand Canyon Pick 6. The 20¢ wager is identical to a regular Pick 6  – picking the winners of six consecutive winners – but with a twist and the lure of a bigger payoff.  The Grand Canyon Pick 6 carryover pool is paid out only when there is one winning combination. However, consolation payoffs are paid out daily to winning ticket holders.
 
A $2 million stakes program will be highlighted by the $75,000 Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile, January 12, The $75,000 Phoenix Gold Cup, February 9 and the $50,000 Turf Paradise Derby, February 16. The Arizona Thoroughbred Breeders’ Day, which features six state-bred stakes worth $185,000, will be held April 20.
 

Turf Paradise Adds Grand Canyon Pick 6, Seeds Pool $25,000 for Upcoming Race Meet

9/7/2018

 
Horseplayers that like Pick wagers with the chance of winning big payouts, will welcome the addition of the Grand Canyon Pick 6 whose carryover pool will be seeded with a guaranteed $25,000 beginning opening day as Turf Paradise readies to open for its 63rd racing season.
The 131-day meet will run from October 13 thru May 5. Racing will be conducted primarily on a 5-day a week basis, Saturday thru Wednesday with post time at 12:55 pm.
 
The 38 scheduled stakes valued at $2 million, will be highlighted by the $75,000 Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile, January 12, The $75,000 Phoenix Gold Cup, February 9 and the $50,000 Turf Paradise Derby, February 16.
 
Only a 20¢ wager, The Grand Canyon Pick 6 is the same as a regular Pick 6 – picking the winners of six consecutive winners – but with a twist and the lure of a big payoff. The Grand Canyon Pick 6 carryover pool is paid out only when there is one winning combination. However, consolation payoffs are paid out daily to winning ticket holders.

October 13th is Opening Day at Turf Paradise

9/4/2018

 
Iconic Track Celebrates With Free T-Shirts And Ceremony Honoring Veterans, First Responders

The waiting is almost over for horseracing fans as Turf Paradise gets ready to start its 63rd season October 13th. In addition to a full card of live, local horseracing the day will also feature ceremonies honoring veterans and first responders. Plus the first 5,000 paid admissions will receive a free Opening Day t-shirt. 

The day also features live music, a kids’ fun park and a barbeque tent.
The season begins as fans are celebrating yet another Triple Crown victory as Justify took the honors trained by Arizona’s own Bob Baffert who ran horses at Turf Paradise in the 1990’s.
 
Opening day’s featured race will be the $30,000 Bienvenidos Stakes.
 
Gates open at 11am October 13th and the first post time is 12:55. As always Grandstand admission is $3 and general parking is free.  

Turf Paradise will also be holding ceremonies throughout the day honoring veterans, Native America veterans and first responders in addition to offering free grandstand admission to veterans, active military, as well as police officers and fire fighters.  Beneficiaries of these events will be MCLEF (Marine Corp Law Enforcement Foundation) and the Southwest Indian Foundation.
 
In addition to live horseracing, fans can watch, wager, and win on simulcasts from major racetracks from around the country. And for fans who can’t get to the track, there are 58 Off Track Betting locations statewide.


The 131-day meet features a stakes program worth $2 million, including the $30,000 Bienvenidos Stakes on Opening Day October 13th.  Other states races include the $75,000 Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile (Jan. 12) the $75,000 Phoenix Gold Cup (Feb. 9), and the $50,000 Turf Paradise Derby (Feb. 16).
 
Opening day is just the beginning. The season also includes:
 
  • Two Day Breeders Cup Party November 2nd and 3rd (All day buffet on the 3rd)
  • A Thanksgiving Weekend Party
  • Super Saturday February 9th featuring the $75,000 Phoenix Gold Cup
  • 63rd Anniversary Party featuring the $75,000 Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile January 12
  • Wiener Dog Races March 9th
  • Kentucky Derby Party May 4th
 
 
Turf Paradise General Manager Vincent Francia said, “As new fans discover the sport of horseracing thanks to another Triple Crown winner, we also want to welcome back our current fans who have been waiting all summer to watch, wager and win on live and local horseracing. We also want to devote part of the day to honor the men and women who serve their country and their community.”
 

Who: Turf Paradise
What: Opening Day at Turf Paradise
When: October 13th Gates open at 11a.m.
Where: Turf Paradise 1501 West Bell Road
Why: To start the 63 season of horseracing in Arizona
How Much: Grandstand admission is just $3
More Info: Call (602) 942-1101/ Online www.turfparadise.com


Turf Paradise’s 63rd season runs from October 13th to May 5th. Turf Paradise, located at 19th Ave and Bell Road, first opened its doors in 1956 and has operated at the same location ever since. It has maintained Arizona’s horse racing tradition for more than six decades.
 

    Archives

    March 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    October 2021
    August 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed


HOME    LOCATION    CONTACT    JOBS    HOTELS    BRANDING OPPORTUNITIES

Visit us!
Picture
Sign Up for Email Updates
Latino

BACK TO TOP

Tel: 602-942-1101

Copyright 2020 @ Turf Paradise. All Rights Reserved.



Turf Paradise