Turf Paradise meet opens with purse boost, schedule change

PHOENIX – Turf Paradise’s 58th meet opens Saturday, highlighted by a change to the racing calendar and a boost to the purse structure. The 155-day stand at the Phoenix track runs through May 6, with racing normally conducted five days a week and full-card simulcasting offered seven days a week.

The big change comes in which days see live action. Turf Paradise previously ran on a Friday-through-Tuesday basis. This meet, however, live action will be conducted on Saturdays through Wednesdays, with some exceptions such as the first Breeders’ Cup Day, Friday, Nov. 1.

Also, according to track general manager Vince Francia, the purse structure will see a 5 percent across-the-board increase, with the minimum purse now $6,000.

“We want to improve on last season’s 4 percent increase in all-sources handle,” Francia said. “We feel that racing Wednesdays helps us achieve that goal and will help fuel the horsemen’s purse account. It’s essential we get our average field size to a minimum of eight horses if we’re going to make all of this happen.”

Francia is happy with the number of horsemen who have shipped in for the meet, noting there are 195 trainers on the grounds from 23 states and Canada.

The $35,000 Bienvenidos kicks off the meet and begins a stakes schedule of 40 events worth $1.5 million.

L. A. Weekend, the top sprinter during the 2012-13 meet off wins in the Phoenix Gold Cup and Coyote Handicap, and Absolutely Cool, among the region’s top sprinters the past couple seasons, head the Bienvenidos Stakes. The 6 1/2-furlong event drew a full field of 12.

While L. A. Weekend and Absolutely Cool have been fixtures in the top sprint stakes here the past couple seasons, new shooter National may be the one to beat.

National, owned by Michael Gorra and trained by Miguel Silva, has won 4 of his last 5, all at Canterbury Park. He once competed in Southern California, and he’s won 10 of 24 overall. He comes here off an easy optional-claiming win Aug. 4 and a rallying victory in the HBPA Sprint Handicap on Sept. 14.

L. A. Weekend was terrific here last meet, but then he went to Betfair Hollywood Park and could manage only sixth in the Cool Frenchy. He then dueled for the lead and faded to sixth in Northlands Park’s Journal Handicap in his last race June 8.

L. A. Weekend, owned by Rick Wiest and trained by Robertino Diodoro, may get back on the beam with a return to this track.

Absolutely Cool has been knocking heads with the best sprinters on the grounds the past few seasons. Owned by Karl Krieg and trained by Valorie Lund, he’s been off since finishing third in the Dark Star at Canterbury on June 8.