Turf Paradise

From the 1956 Archives

🎳🏇 Coming Soon to Kingman!

Cerbat Lanes is joining the Turf Paradise OTB network! Soon, you’ll be able to enjoy bowling, food and all the excitement of live horse racing in one place.

📍 3631 Stockton Hill Rd.
Kingman, AZ 86401

Stay tuned for opening details!

The 1961–62 season marked a milestone for Turf Paradise: Arizona’s first million-dollar purse year. With top jockeys, horses from across the U.S. and Canada, and record demand for stalls, Arizona racing was earning its reputation as the “Finest Under the Sun.” 🏇☀️

From the Archives in 1954

Before the first race was ever run, Turf Paradise was a bold vision: a $2.5 million racing destination on 320 acres at 19th Avenue and Bell Road, complete with seating for 5,000 fans—and even an airstrip for private planes. Arizona racing history was about to begin. 🏇

🚨 New OTB Location Coming Soon! 🚨

We’re excited to welcome Sarah’s Bull Pen to the Turf Paradise OTB network! Get ready to watch and wager on all the racing action in Safford. 🏇

📍 912 W. Thatcher Blvd.
Safford, AZ 85546

Stay tuned for opening details!

It’s almost Post Time at Turf Paradise!

From the 1958 Archives:

A record-breaking season at Turf Paradise! 🏇

Across 32 days of racing, 137,600 fans came through the gates and nearly $5 million was wagered. The season’s brightest star was Bettyanbull, who equaled the five-furlong world record and won both the Phoenix Gold Cup and Phoenix Open Handicap.

Today, Turf Paradise honors the lives lost on September 11, 2001, and the countless heroes who answered the call that day.

The riderless horse is a centuries-old military tradition used to honor a fallen service member or leader. With boots placed backward in the stirrups, the horse moves forward without its rider—a symbol of someone who should be there, but is no longer with us.

The image carries an especially powerful meaning. A horse accustomed to carrying its rider instead carries only the weight of remembrance. The empty saddle reminds us of the seats left empty, the families forever changed, and the heroes who gave everything in service to others.

We take this moment to pause to remember those who never came home—and to honor the courage of those who ran toward danger when others were running away.

Today, we remember. Today, we honor. And always, we will never forget.

🇺🇸 September 11, 2001 — We Remember.

📸: Justin Lane/EPA/Shutterstock