Turf Paradise is under new ownership, and in a few years it'll likely have a new location as well.

Why it matters: Moving Turf Paradise would bring the end of a long era for that region of north Phoenix, which has been home to the racetrack for generations.

State of play: Former owner Jerry Simms sold the historic horse track last year, and its 70th season began under new management in November.

• But Simms still owns the land near 19th Avenue and Bell Road, which he told Axios Phoenix he's also trying to sell.

That'll require Gary Hartunian, the Southern California real estate developer and race horse owner who bought the track, to find a new home for Turf Paradise.

• Hartunian told Axios that he and Simms weren't able to agree on a price for him to purchase the land. Simms said they didn't discuss it much.

Zoom in: Hartunian told us he'll probably start looking for new sites in a year or two.

• He has a two-year lease to operate at the current site, with three one-year extensions available.
• A new facility will likely cost $40 million to $50 million, Hartunian said, not including the land.

The intrigue: There's no telling where Turf Paradise may end up.

• They'd be seeking "the best deal on 125 acres," said general manager Tom Ludt, and the only geographic restriction is that it remain in Maricopa County.
• The name won't change, Hartunian said.

What's next: Simms said he has no timeline for selling the land.

• "We have a lot of interest. We'll see what happens," he said.
• Hartunian said he'd "never say never" to the possibility of reaching an agreement with Simms on the land, but "it's probably not looking very good."

For now, Hartunian and Ludt are focused on making improvements and repairs to the current Turf Paradise, which they say is sorely in need of upgrades.

• Hartunian said he also wants to bring in a new chef to improve the food.

Place your bets

State attorneys general, including our own Kris Mayes, are moving aggressively to sue corporate giants in an attempt to fill a void they argue is being left by federal antitrust regulators.

Why it matters: Recent examples show states can be effective in blocking big mergers, especially when they band together.

• Kroger's $25 billion takeover attempt of rival Albertsons was successfully thwarted in 2024 by lawsuits brought by Mayes and a band of several other AGs.

Driving the news: More than two dozen Republican and Democratic state AGs, including Mayes, last month filed a motion for a mistrial in the federal antitrust lawsuit that sought to break up Live Nation/Ticketmaster.

• They moved to continue their lawsuit after the Justice Department announced it settled the case for $280 million.
• The settlement drew outrage from consumer groups and activists, who argue the Trump administration let the firm off the hook.

Zoom in: Mayes also joined a multi-state antitrust lawsuit targeting Apple over an alleged monopoly in the smartphone market.

• She sued software company RealPage and nine apartment landlords operating in Arizona over what her office called an "illegal price-fixing conspiracy" that violated Arizona antitrust and consumer fraud laws.
• And Arizona is one of seven states now seeking more than $10 million in attorneys' fees and other litigation expenses in the Albertsons-Kroger case.

Read more

🗳️Third-party gubernatorial hopeful Hugh Lytle is among the candidates facing challenges seeking to knock them off the July 21 primary ballot. (AZcentral)

👀 Senate President Warren Petersen asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate AG Kris Mayes and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes after they told counties it would be illegal to provide DOJ their full, unredacted voter files, and sought additional information about election records the state Senate turned over. (Arizona Mirror)

🏰 South Mountain's Mystery Castle, which was under threat of demolition, has a new owner who has committed to preserving the landmark that was built in the 1930s. (12 News)

🏛️ U.S. Rep. Yassamin Ansari said she'll introduce impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth next week for what she called "endangerment of U.S. servicemembers and repeated war crimes." (Axios)

🎡 Arizona Boardwalk in Scottsdale plans to open an 80-foot, climate-controlled Ferris wheel later this month. (ABC15)

One of Arizona's speediest bartenders is heading to New Orleans this summer to compete in a national cocktail-making competition.

Why it matters: The only thing better than a stiff drink is someone making it for you — quickly.

Zoom in: Krissy Shelberg of UnderTow Gilbert notched the top spot in a Speed Rack qualifying event in Phoenix last month after whipping up an espresso martini, whiskey sour, Hugo Spritz and Airmail in one minute and nine seconds.

How it works: Speed Rack is a national all-female bartending competition that celebrates women in the cocktail industry and raises money for breast cancer research.

• 16 of the nation's top mixologists make it to the national stage, where they'll be asked to make four drinks (from a list of more than 80!) as fast as possible.

This will be Shelberg's second time competing at nationals, giving her a leg up, she said.

• She told us she'll be switching her technique and pouring her base spirits before mixers to ensure she can keep track of which cocktail is which — a challenge she encountered last year.

You can watch Shelberg work her cocktail magic at UnderTow Gilbert, where she's the bar manager, or taste one of her concoctions at SumoMaya, where she curated several signature drinks.

Tell a mixologist