Arizona's dispute over who controls Turf Paradise has moved from a lease fight into a regulatory crisis, with the state suspending Skyfall 7's authority to conduct pari-mutuel wagering at the Phoenix track and its off-track betting locations. The Arizona Department of Gaming's Division of Racing made the suspension effective Oct. 16, citing the operator's lack of access to the property and insufficient personnel to support authorized wagering. The department's public notice, reported by BloodHorse, said the restrictions had interrupted live-racing preparations and wagering operations.
The action follows a lockout by property owner Jerry Simms that barred Gary Hartunian's Skyfall 7 employees from Turf Paradise on Oct. 10. Skyfall 7 holds the racing permit and had been slated to operate the 2026-27 meet, scheduled to begin Nov. 27, but Simms' move disrupted simulcasting, off-track betting and preparations to receive horses at the stable area. Daily Racing Form reported that signs at the property said TP Racing had retaken possession under the lease agreement.
Regulator Shannon Nelson said the matter may have begun as a private business dispute, but the state could not allow wagering to continue without the operational safeguards required by Arizona law. The suspension notice cited the absence of a contingency plan for cashing pari-mutuel tickets, inadequate staffing and instructions for additional wagering facilities to cease operations after Skyfall 7 lost access to the track. The permit suspension therefore reaches beyond the grandstand: it also affects the Arizona betting network that depends on Turf Paradise's authorized operations. Thoroughbred Daily News reviewed the notice and its stated findings.
The legal picture shifted Friday, when an arbitrator reportedly allowed Skyfall 7 back onto the property, according to Hartunian. That development does not automatically restore the wagering permit, however. The Division of Racing's suspension remains pending a hearing scheduled for Nov. 19, leaving the operator with a narrow window to demonstrate that it again has reliable access, qualified staff and procedures for handling customer funds and winning tickets. TDN reported Hartunian's account of the arbitration ruling.
For horsemen, the immediate concern is not a change in form, equipment or the overnight line; it is whether there will be a functioning race meeting at all. A scheduled inspection by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority and the planned reopening of the stable area were postponed amid the turmoil, while the track has been limited to simulcast activity. Horse Racing Nation reported that both steps were on indefinite hold. Until the ownership dispute and the regulatory requirements are settled, trainers, jockeys and bettors are left handicapping a meet whose biggest variable is whether the starting gate will open on Nov. 27.