Arizona Downs facts for kids
 |
|
| Location | Prescott Valley, Arizona, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°38′47″N 112°16′51″W / 34.646471°N 112.280852°W |
| Owned by | Dave Auther Tom Auther Mike Auther |
| Operated by | J&J Equine Enterprises LLC |
| Date opened | 1959 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred Quarter horse |
| Course type | Flat |
Arizona Downs is a horse racing track located in Prescott Valley, Arizona. It's a place where two main types of horses race: Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses. The track was once known as Yavapai Downs.
After stopping regular races in 2010, the track reopened for a shorter season in 2019. From 2020 to 2022, Arizona Downs held summer races that included both Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds. However, it did not hold its usual summer races in 2023 because of financial challenges.
Contents
The Story of Arizona Downs
Early Days of Racing
The first horse racing track in the area was built in Prescott in 1959. It was located on old Rodeo Grounds. This track hosted races until the year 2000.
Building a New Track
The original track in Prescott couldn't be made bigger. So, a new track was built nearby in Prescott Valley. This new track was named Yavapai Downs. It was named after the local Native American Tribe and the county it was in. Yavapai Downs held races from 2000 to 2010. In 2011, the company that owned it faced serious money problems and declared bankruptcy.
New Owners and Challenges
In 2013, a person named Gary Miller bought the property. He paid $5.5 million for it. The new owner opened a speedway for car races in 2014. However, the horse racing track at Yavapai Downs did not start up again. In 2014, Miller tried to sell the property. When he couldn't sell it, he also faced bankruptcy in March 2015. All activities at the property then stopped.
Arizona Downs Reopens
In 2018, a company called J&J Equine Enterprises LLC bought the facility. They paid $3.22 million for it. On June 20, it was announced that the track would reopen. It was given a new name: Arizona Downs. The plan was to start showing races from other tracks later that summer. Live horse racing was set to begin again in the summer of 2019. Arizona Downs also opened new places where people could bet on races from other tracks. These locations are in cities like Flagstaff and Phoenix.
Grand Opening in 2019
The newly updated Arizona Downs had its big grand opening on May 24, 2019.
Challenges with Race Broadcasts
When Arizona Downs reopened, it faced a problem. A large company that provides video of horse races, Monarch Content Management, would not sell its race broadcasts to Arizona Downs. These broadcasts are important for tracks to make money. Monarch said this was due to their business plans and a past legal disagreement with a former partner of the track.
To help, lawmakers in Arizona passed a new bill. This bill, called Arizona House Bill 2547, said that all companies providing race broadcasts must offer them fairly to all licensed tracks in the state. Governor Doug Ducey signed this bill on June 7, 2019. It became law on August 27, 2019.
However, Monarch filed a lawsuit on August 9, 2019. They wanted to stop the new law from taking effect. On December 20, 2019, a court denied Monarch's request to block the law. The court found that Monarch was unlikely to win their case.
On December 19, 2023, the Arizona Racing Commission took away Arizona Downs' permit to hold live races. This decision was made because of the track's ongoing financial difficulties.
