In 1954 businessman Walter Cluer, a successful
millwork company founder and manufacturer from Phoenix, purchased of barren desert at what is now Bell Road and 19th Avenue. Cluer, who was also a horse owner, dreamt of building a first-class race track in Phoenix. Many locals thought Cluer's ambitious project was ill-timed and destined to fail, given that the property was from
downtown Phoenix, and that the only way to get there was via a few badly maintained dirt roads. However, he forged ahead and on January 7, 1956, Turf Paradise opened its doors to great success. Cluer remained as head of the track for nearly 25 years. In 1980, Herb Owens took over and Turf Paradise entered into a phase of renovation. A seven-furlong infield turf course with a one-mile and one-eighth (1.8 km) chute was added. The Clubhouse was enlarged and a Turf Club with penthouse-style Directors’ Suite and outdoor patio was also added. Turf Paradise's third owner, Robert Walker of
Scottsdale, Arizona, had made a fortune with an aerospace company he had founded and sold. He purchased the track in 1989 and moved it into the
gambling field of
off-track betting. Walker's formula seemed to be the right approach at the right time, as he retired the track's outstanding debt and declared the first-ever dividend for Turf Paradise stockholders. In addition, Walker and a consortium of
horse racing interests successfully lobbied the
Arizona Legislature to legalize off track betting (OTB). The in-state OTB network is perhaps Walker's most significant contribution to the track and Arizona's racing industry. What started out as a single OTB site in little
Cave Creek (population 4,000) in 1991, has now grown to over 45 in-state OTBs and over 900 out-of-state locales, located in six countries. Turf Paradise took on a corporate face in 1994 when the track was purchased in a stock acquisition by California-based
Hollywood Park Racetrack under the chairmanship of
Randall D. Hubbard. Despite intense competition from a number of Native American in-state casino gaming interests, Turf Paradise continued to flourish and achieve record mutual handle numbers.
Jerry Simms ownership The new millennium provided Turf Paradise with a new owner in the person of
Jerry Simms. The self-made multi-millionaire purchased Turf Paradise on June 16, 2000 for $53 million. Simms immediately set out a $5 million renovation plan. Both the Clubhouse and Turf Club were completely renovated and re-styled. Two race book-style betting carrels, of 80 private terminals each, were added, one in the Clubhouse and the other adjacent to the Turf Club. He made use of the land for commercial development and at the same time enhancing the racing operation. In 2016, the course held an "alternative racing" day, where jockeys raced ostriches, camels and zebras on the track to attract visitors.
2020 onwards In mid-March 2020, the meet ended early as the
COVID-19 pandemic caused the track to shut down indefinitely. Racing returned on January 4, 2021 with an 84-day race meet judged to be one of the most successful at the track in recent times. Pending finalization of contracts with the AZHBPA, racing is due to resume for a 125-day live meet on November 5, 2021. In April 2023 it was announced that California-based CT Realty had entered into an agreement to purchase the Turf Paradise property for redevelopment, with closing expected sometime during the summer. At the time of the announcement, an executive at the Arizona Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association said his members were told that racing at Turf Paradise would continue between one and three more years while surrounding land is redeveloped. Later that month, it was reported that the sale of the Turf Paradise property had fallen through and that Simms found a new buyer to purchase the racetrack with the intention of continuing live racing. It was later revealed that the new buyers of the track had not put up the money to buy the track. “The deal was there before. Quoting owner Jerry Simms “The people never put up their money, and it just didn't happen.” Live racing from January to May for 2024 is currently ongoing, during the latest Arizona Racing commission meeting Simms said he is still looking to sell the track and keep racing, and he has several potential suitors. In 2025, the course celebrated their lowest racing fatality rate in their 69-year history, with one fatality on the track's main course and three on the turf course. ==Physical attributes==