The sale of Turf Paradise racetrack in Phoenix to a California commercial real-estate developer with a background in racing is not expected to close until the end of the year, leading to discussions among the current racetrack owner and the track’s horsemen over whether to hold live racing dates in 2023, according to the principals involved in the process. The sale of the track to a group led by James Watson, a former commissioner on the California Horse Racing Board, was first expected to close in the fall, well before the traditional opening of Turf Paradise’s live meet in November. But delays in the closing process have pushed that back until “at best” the end of the year, Watson said Friday, meaning Watson cannot play a role in opening the track during this calendar year. As a result, officials employed by the track, which has been owned by Jerry Simms since 2000, have been holding discussions with horsemen about holding live dates late in 2023, according to Vince Francia, the track’s general manager. Francia said that a decision would need to be reached by “mid-August” in order to distribute and evaluate stall applications and tend to other administrative matters in time to start the meet in November. “The discussions have been friendly, creative, and productive so far,” Francia said. “But no decision has been reached yet.” Although Watson has not committed to running Turf Paradise over the long-term, the continued operation of the track has taken on a new dimension with the announcement last week that Golden Gate Fields in Northern California will be closed in December. The track’s owner, 1/ST Racing, has said that it is in discussions to sell the track as parkland and that it intends to “consolidate” California racing at its Santa Anita Park in Southern California. :: Bet with the Best! Get Free DRF PPs and Cashback when you wager. Join DRF Bets. Turf Paradise, which usually runs from November to early May, has typically attracted a sizeable number of runners from Northern California, either as short-term guests or transfers to trainers who have stalls at Turf Paradise. Unlike many tracks in the southwest, Turf Paradise has a turf course, adding to its allure to some Northern California-based trainers. Watson said that the closing of Golden Gate “would absolutely be helpful” to Turf Paradise’s operations, but he said that developments over the summer in Arizona have created a “bleak” environment for the long-term operation of the track.  First off, lobbyists for Watson’s partnership, which includes Revolutionary Racing, a company that has had success in other jurisdictions lobbying for racing-friendly legislation, were unable to convince the legislature to legalize historical horse racing machines, which are devices similar to slot machines. The biggest hurdle to the legislation remains the state’s Indian tribes, which operate dozens of casinos, including several on the outskirts of the Phoenix metropolitan area. “We got some traction [in the legislature], but some opposition,” Watson said. The Indian tribes “are an absolute stonewall. They won’t even have any discussions.” Then, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs removed a budget item this summer that would have continued to grant $5 million to Turf Paradise and its horsemen that had first been approved in 2020 to deal with fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. Hobbs later reduced the outlay to $1 million. “We’ve been arguing, as is evident across the country, that racing is struggling right now. It needs all the help it can get,” Watson said. “But the governor doesn’t care about racing.” Watson said that he remains committed to running a live race meet at the property for the next several years while exploring development opportunities for the 213-acre site, but he also said that he will continue to press the legislature for approval of the HHR machines, which have contributed to massive purse increases and financial stability at a number of tracks across the country, principally in Virginia and Kentucky.  “We’ll keep pushing for now,” Watson said. “We’re a real-estate development company, but our focus for now is trying to get racing restored.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.