The Arizona Senate will consider state Senator Steve Yarbrough’s amendment to House Bill 2127, which would end dog racing in the state at the end of this year. The measure would allow Tucson Greyhound Park, Arizona’s only greyhound racetrack, to collect 0,000 a year for two years from off-track horse racing operators offering televised horse races. Previously the Senate Finance Committee voted 5-0 for the last-minute amendment.
Track lobbyist Michael Racy told the committee, “There is growing pressure in the state and around the country to end live greyhound racing. We understand that, we respect that, we feel that. Dog racing in Arizona and the country is probably and realistically coming to an end.” Racy said the amendment offers owners of Tucson Greyhound Park, the oldest continuously running track in the U.S., a “soft landing.”
State Senator Steve Farley said the amendment offers a reasonable compromise. “Greyhound racing isn’t a sport. It’s a cruel practice that’s like one step above dog fights. The track doesn’t want to race. They don’t want the law to trap them into a place where they’re doing this thing that they don’t want to do any more,” he said.
However, state Senator Steve Pierce, who opposes the amendment, said the requirement that dog racing continue was created several years ago to protect it from emerging tribal casino and is no longer necessary. “We’re paying the money and we would like to have that money put into the breeder’s fund or to the awards fund,” Pierce said.
The owners of Phoenix and Apache greyhound parks, which have been closed more than five years, oppose the bill, stating it would prevent them from reopening if it were economically feasible. Representing the track owners, Edward Braunger said, “In the future the situation might arise where we might want to reopen the racetracks. This bill does not allow us to do that. This essentially kills greyhound racing in the future Arizona.”
