In all of our 63 year history, Turf Paradise has never faced a more serious threat. If HB2547, legislation recently passed by the Arizona Legislature, is signed by Governor Ducey our track would have to close its doors.
Since there has been a lot of misinformation provided by people new to horse racing in Arizona, we need to set the record straight and ask for your help.
The bill mandates some racing groups to provide signals to OTB’s operated by Arizona Downs. The racing groups have said if forced to sell their signals to all or none, they would chose none.
That means no simulcasts from Santa Anita Park, Del Mar, Gulfstream Park, Pimlico, Laurel Park, Golden Gate Fields, Los Alamitos (TB), Meadowlands, Tampa Bay Downs, Monmouth Park, Santa Rosa, or Latin American racing to Arizona OTB's and Arizona tracks including Turf Paradise, Arizona Downs, and Rillito Park in Tucson.
This would kill more than 44% of simulcast business. Purses would plummet by more than $3.5 million. We can’t survive that. The loss would be too great. That would be a shame.
Please email Governor Ducey at engage@az.gov and ask him to veto HB2547. You can also call him at 602.542.4331.
For the record, we welcome Arizona Downs to the state. We think year round racing is a great for the horse racing industry in Arizona. But this legislation would cause a radical change in law. It would be akin to forcing you to sell your house to someone you didn’t want to.
There is no “monopoly” in Arizona. Signals are currently sent to Arizona Downs and to Rillito Park.
Arizona Downs and signal providers have had their disagreements. We hope they resolve them. But the entire horse racing industry in Arizona should not be held hostage to force a solution. The reality is this: Arizona Downs didn’t do enough due diligence when they decided to re-open the track. Now they want the State of Arizona to bail them out and hurt other tracks on the state as a result.
For more than 63 years Turf Paradise has been entertaining fans. Over the past 10 years Turf has paid out over $100 million in purses, $10 million per year; some years more than others.
It would be a tragedy if all that comes to an end because of special interest legislation that would accomplish nothing. Please email Governor Ducey today at engage@az.gov and ask him to veto HB2547. You can also call him at 602.542.4331.
Since there has been a lot of misinformation provided by people new to horse racing in Arizona, we need to set the record straight and ask for your help.
The bill mandates some racing groups to provide signals to OTB’s operated by Arizona Downs. The racing groups have said if forced to sell their signals to all or none, they would chose none.
That means no simulcasts from Santa Anita Park, Del Mar, Gulfstream Park, Pimlico, Laurel Park, Golden Gate Fields, Los Alamitos (TB), Meadowlands, Tampa Bay Downs, Monmouth Park, Santa Rosa, or Latin American racing to Arizona OTB's and Arizona tracks including Turf Paradise, Arizona Downs, and Rillito Park in Tucson.
This would kill more than 44% of simulcast business. Purses would plummet by more than $3.5 million. We can’t survive that. The loss would be too great. That would be a shame.
Please email Governor Ducey at engage@az.gov and ask him to veto HB2547. You can also call him at 602.542.4331.
For the record, we welcome Arizona Downs to the state. We think year round racing is a great for the horse racing industry in Arizona. But this legislation would cause a radical change in law. It would be akin to forcing you to sell your house to someone you didn’t want to.
There is no “monopoly” in Arizona. Signals are currently sent to Arizona Downs and to Rillito Park.
Arizona Downs and signal providers have had their disagreements. We hope they resolve them. But the entire horse racing industry in Arizona should not be held hostage to force a solution. The reality is this: Arizona Downs didn’t do enough due diligence when they decided to re-open the track. Now they want the State of Arizona to bail them out and hurt other tracks on the state as a result.
For more than 63 years Turf Paradise has been entertaining fans. Over the past 10 years Turf has paid out over $100 million in purses, $10 million per year; some years more than others.
It would be a tragedy if all that comes to an end because of special interest legislation that would accomplish nothing. Please email Governor Ducey today at engage@az.gov and ask him to veto HB2547. You can also call him at 602.542.4331.
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