A clean break and a fresh start for the Valley's oldest major sports venue.
Built in 1956, the thunder of thoroughbred hooves has torn down the Turf Paradise stretch for 70 seasons. But big changes are underway. The racetrack is undergoing massive renovations under the leadership of a new team that has an impressive pedigree.
Tom Ludt is the new general manager of the track near 15th Avenue and Bell Road in Phoenix. Before taking the job in Arizona, he ran Santa Anita, served as head of the Breeders' Cup, and spent more than a decade on the Kentucky Racing Commission.
"It's a wonderful city. It's the perfect time of year. They have a great population, economics, everything fits well, and they've just never really pushed horse racing," Ludt said. "I thought this was a great chance to take horse racing to the next level."
Step one involved spending millions on major renovations, starting with the track surface, which is critical for safety.
"This all starts with the horse. (The horse) is our star. And so you spend an enormous amount of money on this dirt and then maintaining this turf course," Ludt said.
"It's vital, and we've spared no expense."
New general admission and grandstand areas came next.
Legendary track announcer Vic Stouffer arrived just last week, coaxed out of retirement after a career calling iconic races at Hollywood Park. Stouffer was drawn to Turf Paradise by the reputation of the new operators.
"These are major players in the racing industry, and I realized that I wanted to, you know, I'd like to be a part of that," Stouffer said.
But even as construction continues, the new team cautions that only time will tell if they're putting money on a winner — if their dream of returning Turf Paradise to its former luster will cross the finish line.
"We have to create an environment that's appealing to the novice and the big player," Ludt said. "We want people to come back to the track."
Turf Paradise offers live racing Mondays through Thursdays on most weeks and some Fridays and Saturdays.
Their schedule is available on their website.
