California tracks could provide new homes for some Turf Paradise stables

The cancellation of the Turf Paradise meeting in Phoenix this winter could lead to a small increase of runners in California, according to officials at California tracks and a leading trainer from Arizona.

Last week, Turf Paradise announced it would not run its typical meeting from October to May because of the coronavirus pandemic. The track canceled the final weeks of its 2019-20 meeting because of the pandemic. The season was scheduled through May 2, but ended in March.

The loss of the Turf Paradise season will force owners and trainers who raced at the track to seek alternative venues throughout the Midwest, the South, and perhaps California, according to trainer Jeff Metz.

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Metz had approximately 25 horses at Turf Paradise last winter and finished third in the standings with 30 wins. Through the winter, Metz said he had eight to 10 horses at Santa Anita and currently has eight at Del Mar. He also has a stable at Emerald Downs in Washington.

Metz said over the weekend that he could expand his Santa Anita stable. Another option is to send horses to Golden Gate Fields, although he said he also was looking at establishing a division at Fair Grounds, Oaklawn Park, or Sam Houston.

“I’m just doing some research where the best fit will be for this group of horses and stall availability,” Metz said.

Not all of the horses based at Turf Paradise fit California tracks. Turf Paradise ran a majority of its races for lower-level claimers that would not have equivalent opportunities at Santa Anita or, to some extent, at Golden Gate Fields.

Patrick Mackey, racing secretary at Golden Gate Fields, said Sunday that he has talked to some trainers who raced at Turf Paradise, but that stabling accommodation is a concern. Golden Gate Fields has stabling for approximately 1,500 horses and has a current population of 1,340. The barn area will be closer to capacity when trainers base at Golden Gate Fields in the winter return from the Del Mar and Emerald Downs meetings, he said.

“Obviously, we’re hoping some of the owners look to send horses to trainers here,” Mackey said. “Certain horses will fit up here.”

David Jerkens, racing secretary at Del Mar, said Saturday that he plans to reach out to some owners and trainers who raced at Turf Paradise about participating at the Del Mar autumn meeting in late October and November.

The closure of Turf Paradise will affect California racing in other ways.

When Metz was at Santa Anita, he was approached on occasion by colleagues offering horses for sale that were not competitive in Southern California. A typical day of racing at Turf Paradise included several runners with past performances from California tracks.

Metz said some trainers from Turf Paradise may consider racing in California, although some would need to improve the quality of their runners to fit conditions. Others may not have the opportunity to continue in the sport.

“Golden Gate is an option for a lot of people,” Metz said. “In Arizona, the little guy will go out of business.

“They don’t have the money. They have a home in Phoenix.”

In March, when the coronavirus pandemic first gripped the nation, Metz saw discouraging indications at Turf Paradise when trainers were told to vacate their stables.

“It didn’t look good there in March,” he said. “They told everybody don’t leave anything behind. The writing was on the wall.”