Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise is an Arizona-based horse racing facility. You can catch thoroughbred race horses in their prime at the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise track. This facility is the best venue in the area for watching live horse races while also catching live simulcast racing on television. I am a big fan of Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise if you couldn’t tell that already! I could go on and on about all the conveniences the track at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise offers, but right now I’d like to talk about the versatile thoroughbred horse.
The History of Thoroughbred Horses
Every thoroughbred horse you see running on the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise race track can trace its lineage back to one of three origination sires: the Godolphin Arabian, the Darley Arabian, and the Byerly Turk, all born over 250 years ago. These foundation sires were deemed to be the best of the best, and we now see the results of selective breeding down through the ages when we watch thoroughbred horse racing at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise.
Thoroughbreds are known for their courage, their fiery energy, and their amazing heart: thoroughbreds have been known to run on broken limbs because they just don’t give up. Just watch some of the races at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise and you will see how some horses will fight for their heads as they run. They are considered a hot blooded breed, which I have experienced personally. Working with thoroughbreds, I have found them to be highly energetic with minds of their own. You can find thoroughbreds in other fields that racing like they do at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise; you can find them on steeplechase courses, in show jumping rings, on cross country courses, in the dressage arena, and on the polo field.
One of the most exciting things for me, when I’m enjoying the horse races at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise, is that I could be watching a horse running that will become a famous race horse. You literally can experience history in the making at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise!
Let’s look at another necessity for horse racing at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise, the jockey.
The Jockeys
There would be no horse racing at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise without the other athletic component of the race: the jockey. Jockeys are small, often weighing under 112 pounds, but they are physically strong. The jockey has to be able to make decisions on the fly, deciding when to move the horse to the rail, or when to let the horse have its head in the race for the finish line at the end of the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise race track. If you want to have the chance to speak with one of the jockeys at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise, try sitting next to the Jockey’s Room.
Today jockeys are not restricted to males only, as it was in the past. There are many notable female jockeys in the horse racing world now, and you can find some of them riding alongside the men at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise. In April of 2017, Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise was the site for jockey Amelia Hauschild’s first career win. At Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise , you may witness firsthand some of the young jockeys who will be riding Kentucky Derby-caliber thoroughbreds in their future.
Another necessary component of horse racing is the race track itself. Let’s use the track at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise.
The Sport of Horse Racing as Seen at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise
Thoroughbred horse racing has gone on for centuries. Typically, a horse race like you can witness at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise involves 2 or more horses racing against each other on a track for a set distance. At Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise you may watch races that are as short as 5 and ½ furlongs to races that cover a mile and 1/16, depending upon the day’s events. The Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise website maintains a current schedule of upcoming races. Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise offers stakes races as well as handicap races. A handicap race is one where each horse has to carry a specific amount of weight, in tack, jockey and additional weights as needed, in an effort to equalize the opportunity for all horses competing at this type of race at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise.
In horse racing, the race track is usually oval, with 2 turns, a backstretch and a homestretch. The main track at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise is a mile long. Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise also maintains a turf course that is 7 furlongs long. The facilities at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise can house 2000 thoroughbreds (in stalls) at one time. It is a big facility: there are 61 different barns on the grounds at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise.
Horse racing is definitely a spectator sport, where fans of racing can get involved in the heart-pounding excitement that grips everyone watching the races at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise . You can get right down to the rail at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise , where you can feel the ground trembling underfoot as the horses race by you. It’s an amazing experience, so if you haven’t gotten down to the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise facility, I highly recommend that you go. You will have a full day of fun at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise, and it’s a family-friendly race track.
Watching Live Horse Races at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise
At Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise, there are many options for viewing the races. As far as general admission, you can head for the grandstand area. The grandstand at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise consists of 2 outdoor seating areas as well as 3 indoor areas. This offers a great view of the track. The concessions offered in the grandstand area at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise are varied, and the prices are reasonable. You can even wander over to the paddock, where you will get a chance to talk with the horsemen at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise.
If you want to enjoy live simulcast races from around the United States during your visit to Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise, you may want to check out the Turf Club. It offers comfortable indoor tiered seating, and you can watch the live races outside. You can also watch live simulcast racing from the comfort of your table in the Turf Club at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise. You can get some amazing food here to keep your energy up while you enjoy the day at the track.
I like the Clubhouse at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise as well. It’s on the second level, and you get an amazing view of the live horse races at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise. This is another place that enables you to watch live simulcast races. Both the Clubhouse and the Turf Club at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise offer excellent dining selections.
History of the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise Facilities
Way back in 1954, a man named Walter Cluer bought 1400 acres of Arizona desert, with a plan of building a top-of-the-line horse racing facility. Two years later, Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise started holding horse races, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Jerry Simms purchased Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise many years later, creating a multi-million dollar renovation plan to improve the track and other important areas of the facility, making it the beautiful racing destination that it is today. One of the notable enhancements made at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise was an equine therapy pool for the thoroughbreds in training at the track.
Some of the Best Known Thoroughbreds in Racing History
Secretariat
When you think of the best thoroughbreds of all time, the name Secretariat immediately comes to mind. Nicknamed “Big Red”, Secretariat was big: 16.2, big boned, and described as having almost perfect conformation. A son of Bold Ruler, the expectation from the beginning was that he was going to be a winner, and he certainly proved no one wrong.
Secretariat tended to start slowly, some think because of a bad bump he received during his first race. He would come from behind, overtake a field, and once that clear track was ahead of him he would show off. Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby, setting a track record of 1:592⁄5 in 1973 that still stands today. He went on to win the Preakness. But it was his performance at the Belmont that still has fans talking. Only 4 horses dared to run against him in the Belmont. Secretariat beat the field by 31 lengths. He went on to win more races, retiring to stud the same year.
At the end of his life Secretariat developed debilitating laminitis, and at age 19 he was in so much pain that he was euthanized. An autopsy was held, and it was discovered that Secretariat’s heart was three times the size of a normal thoroughbred heart. This was not due to some sort of inflammation or disease agent. It is believed that his huge heart contributed to his amazing success as a racehorse. If you want to read a good article on this, check out this link.
Seabiscuit
Seabiscuit was a grandson of Man o’ War. He was small for a thoroughbred, and spent most of his time dozing; he was not the typical energetic thoroughbred. His lack of enthusiasm and general disinterest in racing led to 17 losses out of his first 17 races. He changed hands as a 3 year old, where he came under the control of trainer Tom Smith. Smith decided that jockey Red Pollard was the perfect match for Seabiscuit, and a magical combination was born. The wins started coming.
Seabiscuit eventually raced against War Admiral, the winner of the Triple Crown. This famous match race was witnessed by an estimated 40 millions radio listeners (the year was 1938, years before television) War Admiral, the 4-1 favorite, lost the race to Seabiscuit by 4 lengths. This led to Seabiscuit being named American Horse of the Year.
The story behind Seabiscuit’s relationship with jockey Pollard is a fascinating one. There is a great movie out there that has a lot of facts mixed in with the fiction. Sometime when you are planning a trip to the track at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise , take time to watch it before you go. It will remind you of why you love watching the races at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise .
You can watch fillies and mares run at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise as well. Let’s take a look at a famous filly, Ruffian.
Ruffian
Ruffian. My favorite filly of all time. I can remember watching her race. Her tragic end was heartbreaking to anyone who loved thoroughbred horse racing.
Ruffian was the granddaughter of Bold Ruler and Native Dancer: how could she do anything but win, right? She stood 16.1 hands high at age 2, making her an imposing sight. During one of her races as a 2 year old, after the win someone noticed that she had a slight limp. Veterinarian exam revealed that she had finished that race with a hairline fracture, which occurred during the race. She kept running, even though her leg was fractured.
The fracture healed, and as a 3 year old, Ruffian handily won 10 races in a row. Talk was going around about what a shame it was that she wasn’t able to run in races with stud horses like the Kentucky Derby. That year, Foolish Pleasure won the Derby, and whispers began about a possible match race. Both owners were game, and a match race was set. The place: Belmont Park; the date: July 6, 1975. Jockey Jacinto Vasquez had been the jockey for both horses in the past, but he chose to ride Ruffian.
Ruffian was ahead at the quarter mile mark, but a short distance later a loud crack could be heard by anyone within earshot as her leg shattered. Vasquez tried valiantly to pull her up, but the filly fought for her head, continuing to race. Ruffian underwent emergency surgery, but the filly fought violently when she awoke, shattering other parts of her leg in the effort, and she was humanely put down.
Game filly.
My favorite filly of all time.
Rest in peace, Ruffian. You showed the world that girls race just as hard, or even harder, than the boys.
Getting the Full Race Track Experience at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise
If you are planning your first visit to Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise, you may not know what to expect. If you get there in the morning, pick up the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise Daily Program. This essential item will show you the day’s schedule, listing the races and the horses you will see running at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise. You will see the horses’ racing history. You can find information in the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise program to inform you of the morning line odds for a particular horse. The Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise Daily Program is full of helpful information to get you through the day.
After picking up the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise program, make your way up to either the Turf Club or the Clubhouse for breakfast. The breakfast options at both places are filling as well as delicious. I like to get a good start to my day, so I enjoy a good breakfast while I read through the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise and make my picks for each race.
After you finish breakfast, depending upon the time, you can wander around the facilities to just take in the atmosphere. Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise is in a beautiful location, with the Arizona mountains providing a backdrop for some great photos. Before the first race is scheduled to begin, make your way over to the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise paddock, where you can see the horses being walked before the race. This may help you make your daily picks at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise.
Now it’s time to get back to your seat at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise to watch the horses bolt from the starting gate!
Prepare for Your Visit to Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise
If you are heading out to the track, there are a few things you can do to ensure that you have a great day. Be prepared for sunny weather, so bring some sunscreen and sunglasses. Check the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise website before you plan your trip, because there are special events held at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise all the time, and it will help you to know if it’s a day when you can get hotdogs for 2 bucks, or that there’s going to be a Mexican fiesta going on all afternoon!
If you are bringing newcomers to the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise track, you may want to show a horse movie the night before, to get everyone in the right mood. I suggested the Seabiscuit movie earlier; in addition to that one, there is a great movie on Secretariat that you may want to watch. There is even one about Ruffian, but it may be too upsetting to watch before you head to the track; I haven’t been able to make myself watch it yet.
Whatever you do, you can plan to have a wonderful day at the races!