Turf Paradise will not open as scheduled on Saturday in order to address lingering concerns with the condition of its main dirt racing surface, the track announced on Friday night. Turf made the announcement after the Arizona Department of Racing held a meeting on Friday afternoon to discuss the concerns. On Thursday night, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority had notified both Turf Paradise and the department that it would consider initiating an “enforcement action” if the track opened on Saturday.  “The management at Turf Paradise apologizes for any inconvenience,” the track said in a statement announcing the postponement. “Live racing is expected to commence as soon as these track maintenance issues are resolved. That could be as soon as next week. We will have updates as soon as there is new information.” :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. On Monday, the department of racing issued Turf Paradise a 45-day “conditional permit” to open on Saturday, but only after the department discussed a laundry list of HISA and state regulatory standards that Turf Paradise had not yet met. At the meeting, track officials said the issues could be worked out prior to the track’s opening date. However, the HISA statement issued on Thursday cited “recent reports and assessments from racetrack surface experts, concerns raised by on-site racing participants, and firsthand observations of HISA staff.” The statement also called for training at the track to be immediately suspended. “Out of concerns for the safety of horses and riders, HISA has communicated a recommendation to Turf Paradise and the Arizona Department of Gaming to delay the start of the upcoming meet and cease all training and racing activities on the main track racing surface until such time as adequate adjustments and preparations have been made and the track has been retested to verify conformance with industry standards,” the statement said. Vince Francia, the general manager of Turf Paradise, said earlier on Friday that HISA believed the main track would need to be closed for “5 to 7 seven days” to address the organization’s concerns. Turf’s training track has not yet opened. Training on the main track began in early October, and both Francia and representatives of the state’s horsemen have said that at least two serious injuries have occurred during training hours in the past three weeks.  HISA, a private company created by federal legislation that began enforcing safety standards at tracks in 2022, has tangled with Turf Paradise in the past over the track’s compliance with safety regulations, its payment of dues to the organization, and its interpretation of HISA’s jurisdiction. Many of those issues were resolved in early 2023  through a negotiated agreement, but Turf Paradise’s compliance with specific regulations concerning surface maintenance and other standards has remained touch-and-go. HISA’s enabling legislation authorizes the track to withdraw its approval for a meet to be conducted under its jurisdiction. In the event that HISA withdraws its approval, a track cannot send its simulcast signal out-of-state. However, HISA has maintained that only individual state racing agencies can order a track to close. Turf Paradise, which opened in 1956, has struggled to complete routine maintenance throughout the past two decades as the track’s business faltered and efforts to pass casino legislation consistently failed in the face of opposition from the state’s Indian tribes. The track has had a strained relationship with its horsemen for most of the past decade, although those tensions seemed to ease this year after the track’s owner, Jerry Simms, committed to live racing for three years following the dissolution of two separate deals to sell the track.  :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.