Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise is one of the most exciting horse racing venues in the U.S. As thrilling as the daily races are at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise, it also opens its gates for special watch parties for other horse races, namely the Kentucky Derby.
Each spring, Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise hosts a party in honor of this iconic race. Like Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise, Churchill Downs in Louisville, the venue for the Kentucky Derby, welcomes spectators to watch what is dubbed the most exciting two minutes in sports history. Spectators who cannot watch this 1 1/4 mile race in person at Churchill Down’s can come to Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise to watch the race on one of the flat screen TVs found in the clubhouse and Turf Club of Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise.
The Kentucky Derby features some of the fastest three-year old thoroughbreds found anywhere in the world. Geldings and colts must carry 126 pounds while fillies are required to carry 121 pounds. This iconic race is laden with traditions that reflect its rich history. It is counted as one of the most premier horse races to be found anywhere in the world. It is broadcast to millions of viewers at places like Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise.
The Early History of the Kentucky Derby
The first Kentucky Derby was ran on May 17, 1785. Its creator, Meriweather Lewis Clark, Jr., came up with the idea for the Kentucky Derby after watching horse races in London and England during his travels through Europe.
The initial race was 1 ½ miles long and witnessed by more than 10,000 people. The Kentucky Derby grew in popularity even during times when Churchill Downs faced a uncertain financial future after the turn of the 20th century. It was first broadcast on the radio in 1925 and first televised to households across the U.S. in 1949.
Today, the Kentucky Derby is broadcast on TVs all over the world including Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise. Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise hosts a special event in honor of this world famous horse race. Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise also simulcasts the Kentucky Derby on the website for Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise.
With as popular as the Kentucky Derby is, it shows no signs of ending any time soon. It attracts millions of spectators to the grandstands and clubhouse of Churchill Downs each year. In fact, Queen Elizabeth II traveled to Kentucky in 2007 to watch the Kentucky Derby in person.
What is Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise?
Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise is the premier horse racing facility in Arizona. As the state’s first officially recognized professional sporting franchise, Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise was at one time little more than 1400 acres of desert soil. However, since its inception in 1956, Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise has become one of the most widely respected and best attended horse racing venues in the U.S.
It makes sense then that Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise would open its gates throughout the regular horse racing season for events ranging from fundraisers to kids’ fun days. Its regular season and special events are well-attended and draw thousands of people from across the state, country, and world.
In the six decades that Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise has been open, it has only had five owners. Jerry Simms purchased Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise in June 2000 for more than $50 million. He invested millions more turning Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise into the world-class horse racing facility that it is today.
Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise runs horse races every day of the week starting in mid-October until the first week of May. Between those months, Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise is open to the public from 11:00 a.m. until the last race is completed that evening.
Who is Jerry Simms?
Jerry Simms of Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise is a self-made multimillionaire who is the current owner and operator of Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise. He began his entrepreneurial career more than 40 years ago in Pasadena, California. His ventures have included owning and operating several car dealerships and working in the banking and real estate industries.
However, it is his love of race horses and horse racing that has in part made him one of the country’s greatest success stories as the owner of Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise. Growing up in the Midwest, he would watch the horses race and graze in the pastures near his home. His affection and amazement at these animals convinced him to acquire Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise in mid-2000.
Under his guidance, Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise has grown into one of the funnest and most beloved horse racing facilities in Arizona. People who come to Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise can enjoy daily races and special stakes races on the weekends. They can also come to Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise to enjoy all of the fun and traditions of the Kentucky Derby each year.
The Kentucky Derby at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise
You do not need to travel all the way to Louisville, Kentucky to indulge in all of the thrills and excitement of the Kentucky Derby. Thanks to Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise, you can watch the Kentucky Derby while decked out in your derby finest while sitting in the comforts of the grandstands or clubhouses available at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise.
Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise brings a touch of Kentucky into its facilities for visitors who want to watch the derby with fellow horse racing fans. Guests of Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise are encouraged to observe all of the traditions of the Kentucky Derby while also enjoying the accommodations that can only be found at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise.
All of the information about the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise Kentucky Derby party can be found on the website for Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise. You can make your reservations and select what kind of accommodations you would like for you and anyone you plan to bring with you. Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise party spares you from having to travel to Kentucky just to watch the thrilling Kentucky Derby race.
The Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise Director’s Suite Kentucky Derby Package
When you want to indulge in the finest accommodations that Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise has to offer during the Kentucky Derby, you can opt for the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise Top of the Park package. This package option, available to anyone who plans to visit Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise that day, can be yours by reservations made on the website for Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise. For the cost you pay for the package, you get an all-day buffet, gratuity, and seating.
In addition, you get to watch the Kentucky Derby in the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise Director’s Suite, which is also known as the Top of the Park or Top of the Valley. The 4th floor suite can accommodate up to 60 people inside while the covered patio on top of the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise building can hold another 100 people.
People who opt for this Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise Kentucky Derby package can make their bets at any of the betting stations set up inside of the Director’s Suite. You also get access to a full service bar and private restrooms away from the grandstand seating area.
The Clubhouse and Turf Club Options at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise
Another options for watching the Kentucky Derby at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise in style is to reserve a seat in either the clubhouse or Turf Club that day. The Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise Turf Club is open that day.
The Turf Club at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise is located on the third floor of the clubhouse and is a casual dress exclusive restaurant. The Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise Turf Club option gives you access to seating you and up to five of your guests. You also get to watch the Kentucky Derby at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise on the flat screen TVs located in the restaurant.
You can also opt for one of the clubhouse buffet options at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise. Both of the buffet package options come with the admission price, seating, and an all-day buffet as well as gratuity and tax.
The Player’s Club buffet package at Jerry Simms’s Turf Club likewise gives you the option of private seating with your own private betting window. You also go home with a Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise souvenir Kentucky Derby glass. The buffet options are available by reservation only.
Party on the Rail at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise
When you want to watch the Kentucky Derby out in the fresh air and sunshine, you could opt for the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise Party on the Rail package. The Party on the Rail area of Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise sits alongside the dirt race track. It gives you a closeup view of the live races at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise. You also can take in the Kentucky Derby race as it is simulcast to Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise.
The Party on the Rail package option for Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise Kentucky Derby party offers two different seating areas. You can sit at either one of the tiki style bars and enjoy a breakfast and lunch buffet as well as a barbecue lunch. The price of your ticket gets you admission to Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise as well as seating and tax.
The next option for the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise Party on the Rail option is to sit at under one of the area’s umbrella tables. The umbrella table option also comes with a barbecue lunch. The price of your admission covers seating and tax. You would need to pay gratuity out of your own pocket, however.
Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise Pavilion Buffet
Another outdoor option you have at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise on the day of the Kentucky Derby is the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise Pavilion Buffet. The Kentucky Derby Pavilion Buffet at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise is set up on the track apron. In exchange for your admission price, you also get seating, tax, and a souvenir Kentucky Derby glass courtesy of Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise.
The Pavilion Buffet during the Kentucky Derby party at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise typically features a host of barbecue fare. While you are seated on the track apron next to the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise dirt track, you get to watch the posted live races. The Kentucky Derby will be simulcast for outdoor spectators at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise that day.
The outdoor options may appeal to you if you want to enjoy the fresh Arizona sunshine and crisp May air rather than stay cooped up inside of a clubhouse or Director’s suite. You get to take in the live races up close and personal. You also can sit back, relax, and watch the simulcast Kentucky Derby race that is broadcast on the huge screens alongside the race track.
Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise Kentucky Derby Grandstand Package
Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise opens its grandstands during the Kentucky Derby party. Unlike the other package options for the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise Kentucky Derby party, the grandstand option does not require that you make reservations. You pay $5 at the gate on the day that Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise hosts the Kentucky Derby viewing party.
While you are in the grandstands at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise, you have access to the concession stands and the 90 betting windows. The fare sold at the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise ranges from pizza and hot dogs to soda and beer. The prices for the concession at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise are priced to be family-friendly and affordable.
Seating in the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise grandstands is first come, first serve. If the grandstands at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise get too full for your liking during the Kentucky Derby party, you can always sit in the family picnic area. The play area for children should be set up and ready to go for special events like the Kentucky Derby party at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise.
Information about the Kentucky Derby Party at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise
Spectators have been enjoying the Kentucky Derby party at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise for years now. If you are new to this special event, you might want to learn more about it before making a reservation for seating or making plans to attend.
The Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise website is your best resource for information about the Kentucky Derby party at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise. On the website, you can find the phone numbers and contact details for making reservations for the package options you choose. You can also find out what time the party starts, where to park, and where to find other accommodations you might need that day.
The website for Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise is also the place to find all of your horse racing memorabilia. The Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise gift shop is packed full of apparel and gear celebrating this sport as well as the special events like the Kentucky Derby held at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise. You can shop for any of these items to remember the fun you had at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise or to give as gifts on special occasions like birthdays and Christmas.
Kentucky Derby Simulcast at Turf Paradise
When you cannot make it to Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise in Phoenix, you can always keep tabs on the big race by visiting the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise website. The website provides instant updates of the Kentucky Derby as well as all of the live races that day from Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise. You can check the results from your computer or mobile device throughout the day.
The Kentucky Derby live results are free and available immediately after the start of the race. You can find these results under the Off Track Betting tab at the top of the page. You then can go down to the Live Results option to get the results of the Kentucky Derby as well as all of the races being run that day from Turf Paradise.
Turf Paradise does accept off track bets from 45 in-state, 900 out-of-state, and six international OTB sites. You can get all of the information about the horses being raced in the Kentucky Derby that day. You can then place your bet through the OTB function available on the Turf Paradise website.
Traditions of the Kentucky Derby
You do not have to forgo the rich traditions of the Kentucky Derby when you watch the race from Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise. In fact, Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise encourages all spectators who visit the race track that day to observe the traditions that have made the Kentucky Derby one of the most famous race horses in the world.
If you are not sure what those traditions entail, you can get an idea of how other spectators might dress or behave that day at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise by checking out the Kentucky Derby party information on the Turf Paradise website. Indulging in the traditions makes the Kentucky Derby more fun and can make your first time at the Kentucky Derby party at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise more memorable.
You are welcome to come as you are to the Turf Paradise Kentucky Derby special event. The dress code is casual that day, and you are certainly welcome to show up wearing whatever makes you the most comfortable. However, when you want to get into the spirit of the Kentucky Derby, you can start by learning about the traditions that spectators in Louisville will be observing themselves that day.
My Old Kentucky Home
One of the most revered traditions of the Kentucky Derby is the playing of My Old Kentucky home. This song, which pays homage to being born and raised in Kentucky, is played by the University of Louisville Marching Band while the horses step onto the track. The song has been played before the start of the Kentucky Derby since 1936.
My Old Kentucky Home, written by renowned song writer Stephen Foster, is also a part of the traditions celebrated at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise during the Kentucky Derby special event. When you attend the Kentucky Derby part at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise, you will get to hear the song played live while you also watch the horses take their mark in the chutes on the race track.
Whether you live or are visiting Phoenix that day, you will be witness to one of the most prized traditions of the Kentucky Derby when you hear the strains of My Old Kentucky Home played live from Louisville. Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise counts the playing of this song as one of its own traditions as it broadcasts the Kentucky Derby live over its flat screen HD TVs for party guests that day.
The Garland of Roses
Another rich tradition of the Kentucky Derby is the presentation of the Garland of Roses to the winning horse and jockey. Like Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise, Churchill Down’s presents the winner of the derby with a memorable prize. In the case of the Kentucky Derby, however, the Garland of Roses has become woven into the numerous traditions that spectators in person as well as those watching from venues like Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise specifically look for after the race.
The Garland of Roses consists of 400 roses attached to a green satin backing. The backing itself is emblazoned with the Seal of the Commonwealth.
This tradition is so closely held that the Kentucky Derby is also nicknamed the Run for the Roses. Since 1987, the Kroger Company has been providing the rose garland for the Kentucky Derby.
Even if you are watching from Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise that day, you can watch the presentation of the Garland of Roses to the winning horse and jockey. This moving ceremony is one of the highlights of the race and one that resonates with the truest fans of the Kentucky Derby.
Kentucky Derby Hats
One of the most recognized traditions of the Kentucky Derby is the wearing of eye catching and even unusual hats worn by the ladies in attendance. In many ways, this tradition invites women to outdo each other in the types of hats they have commissioned just for this horse race. Other women go out of their way to shop for and buy the biggest and most unusual if not sightly hats they can find.
This fun tradition heightens the excitement and thrill of the Kentucky Derby, which is why Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise invites you to wear your most unusual or creative hat to Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise that day. Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise brings this tradition to the Arizona desert and incorporates it in its own way into the fun and festive atmosphere found at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise during the Kentucky Derby special event party.
You do not have to worry about being out of place with your own Kentucky Derby hat at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise. Whether you are sitting in one of the clubhouses or out in the grandstands, you will find many other female attendees and in some instances men as well wearing their own best Kentucky Derby hats. Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise is so enthusiastic about this tradition that it highlights it on the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise website.
Celebrities at the Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is the premier horse race at which dozens of celebrities make it a priority to be seen. The most famous names in music, theater, movies, and other entertainment industries attend the Kentucky Derby and walk the red carpet before the event. Some of the celebrities are Kentucky natives while others are special invitees of the derby organizers.
Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise also welcomes celebrities to its Kentucky Derby party each year although these celebrities arguably are not photographed by the national media. Still, Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise welcomes big names in Arizona sports, news media, local entertainment, and other industries that native Arizona residents appreciate the most.
You do not have to be a celebrity, however to attend the Kentucky Derby watch party at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise. The accommodations at Turf Paradise that day will make you feel like a VIP. You can prepare now to be treated well while you watch one of the most famous horse races in the world from Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise by going to the Turf Paradise website.
The Kentucky Derby Mint Julep
What would the Kentucky Derby be without a traditional drink made from Kentucky bourbon? The mint julep is the signature drink of this famous horse race. Attendees in Louisville drink mint juleps by the dozens before, during, and after the race is held.
It would only make sense then that Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise likewise offers authentic mint juleps at the full-service bars available that day. The mint juleps at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise are made from the same ingredients as those used in Louisville. You do not have to travel to Kentucky to get a taste of a real mint julep that would rival any served at the Kentucky Derby that day.
If you cannot make it to Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise or Louisville on the day of the Kentucky Derby, you can make your own mint juleps at home while you listen to the simulcast race on the website for Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise. The Kentucky Derby official website offers an easy recipe you can follow to make your own mint juleps.
Kentucky Derby Winnings and Winner’s Circle
Every jockey who races horses at big venues like Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise or Churchill Downs envision himself or herself winning the top purse and standing in the winner’s circle. The top prize of the Kentucky Derby is particularly lucrative given how high the purse can go and what kinds of bonuses and trophies the jockey can win on behalf of not only the horse but also the owner of the thoroughbred.
The purse for the Kentucky Derby tops $1.425 million each year, a hefty win for the jockey and owner. The purse is awarded in addition to the Garland of Roses as well as a 14 carat trophy and 18 carat token horse shoe.
Everyone in the country including the party attendees at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise can watch the owner and jockey take claim of the purse and winnings in the Kentucky Derby winner’s circle. Until the 1940s, this circle was literally nothing more than dirt and a circle of chalk. However, today it is a place of glitz and glamour, suiting the winner of such a prestigious prize.
The winner’s circle of the Kentucky Derby sometimes doubles as a wedding venue during the racing off-season. The cameras during the derby are trained on the winner’s circle so everyone at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise, at home, and everywhere else watching can see the handing over of the purse and trophy.
Kentucky Derby Winners and Record Holders
Like Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise, Churchill Downs is home to some of the most exciting records made in horse racing history. This historical race is often the venue in which Triple Crown winners run.
In fact, in 1973 the thoroughbred Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby, running the race in 1.59 2/5 seconds. Secretariat still holds the fastest record for the race and went on to win the Triple Crown that year, the first time by a Kentucky Derby winner in 25 years.
Like the jockeys who race horses at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise, the jockeys in the Kentucky Derby likewise strive to earn horse racing records. The current record for the most wins by jockey is shared by two individuals: Bill Hartack and Eddie Arcaro. Both jockeys have won five Kentucky Derby races.
When you attend the Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise Kentucky Derby party, you never know if you will soon be witness to a record in the making. You can remember the possible record and the party in general by attending this special event at Turf Paradise in May.
Conclusion
Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise hosts many regular season and special events each year. Out of all of them, the Kentucky Derby watch party is perhaps one of the most well-attended and most fun.
This event at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise allows you to watch the thrilling race without having to travel to Louisville, Kentucky and Churchill Downs. You can watch every second of the race in comfort at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise in the clubhouse, Turf Club, Party on the Rail seating area, Paviilion, or even the grandstands.
You also can bring enjoy all of the most memorable traditions of the Kentucky Derby at Jerry Simms’s Turf Paradise. You are encouraged to dress in your finest race derby hat, enjoy a mint julep, and listen to the traditional song to which the horses step on the track. Turf Paradise truly brings a touch of Kentucky and the most famous horse race in the world to Arizona with its Kentucky Derby party held each May.