Pima County restarts process to find operator for dormant Rillito

Pima County in Southern Arizona has reissued a request for proposals to select an operator for the racetrack at Tucson's Rillito Park after a previous bidding process fell apart, according to the county.

The RFP seeks an operator for racing meets beginning in 2026. Rillito last ran a live race meet in 2023. The 2024 race meet was canceled after the previous leaseholder, Rillito Racing Inc., let its lease expire without addressing concerns from the county about a lack of financial audits and required maintenance at the track.

Rillito has traditionally run on weekends in February and March, hosting both Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred races. The track generally employs a number of students from the University of Arizona's Race Track Industry Program.

Last year, Pima County issued a similar request for proposals, but the process was restarted after the county learned that a bidder had received access to information that was not available to other bidders.

The RFP issued on Monday is a revised request from the one issued last year.

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