Grew up a few miles from Turf Paradise.
Spent a boatload of days on track there from the early 1980's to the early 2000's.
Moved away in 2003.
In 2007 track management at then Yavapai downs and the AZ HBPA successfully lobbied the legislature and governor's office to pass a new state law making it a felony for both bet taker and bettor to bet on horse races from "outside the racing enclosure."
The new law turned a lot of AZ horseplayers into ex-horseplayers.
Two years later, new track management at then Yavapai Downs and the AZ HBPA asked me as president of HANA for help in reaching out to AZ horseplayers and asking for their support to join Yavapai Downs and the AZ HBPA in lobbying the legislature and governor's office to strike the old law, replace it with a new law with language not only authorizing ADW, but additional language that would allow AZ tracks to operate their own ADW if that were something a track wanted to do.
The proposal had support from Yavapai, the AZ horsemen, AZ horseplayers, leadership from the AZ Racing Commission, a handful of AZ legislators, but not Turf Paradise.
I attended a meeting where the idea was presented to the AZ Attorney General's Office so they could look at the proposal and reword it as needed so as not to violate any existing statutes and/or the AZ Constitution.
A few weeks later the AZ Attorney General's Office had done that. (I was told privately they wouldn't have if they were not on board with the idea too.)
The proposal was presented to then AZ Governor Janet Napolitano who told us -- this is not a direct quote I'm paraphrasing here:
"You guys asked me barely two years ago to make ADW wagering a felony. I did that for you. And now you want me to change the law in the exact opposite direction? I can't do that! It's too soon. You need to wait a few years. I trust you understand why."
At one time I knew a lot of people in track management, the AZ HBPA, and the AZ Racing Commission.
But that was 15 years ago. I doubt I know a single current decision maker.
The one thing I would tell anyone considering backing live racing at the old Yavapai Downs site in Prescott Valley and/or Rillito in Tucson is this:
I've been told both race meets generate negative cash flow.
The Native American Tribes operate casinos all over Arizona. They have deep pockets and an incredibly strong lobby. To date they have successfully quashed efforts by Arizona tracks to generate revenue from historical racing machines similar to what tracks in Kentucky are doing.
In 2002 Arizona Voters also turned down
Prop 201 that would have allowed slots at Arizona tracks.
Something tells me the Tribes spent a lot of advertising dollars getting that result (protecting their territory.)
Before you commit significant capital you better have a serious plan not just for running successful race meets - but for engineering a complete turnaround.
You've really got your work cut out for you if you think you can take a distressed race track in that environment - and make it cash flow positive.
-jp
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