Rillito Racetrack Horse Racing Opens Feb 11

With $1 million secured for facility improvements and a four year lease agreement, Winter Race Meet at Rillito Racetrack begins  Feb. 11 and goes through March 19

PIMA COUNTY, ARIZONA – The Pima County Board of Supervisors unanimously Jan. 17 to extend an operating agreement with Rillito Racing, Inc. to June 2021.

Horse racing at Rillito Racetrack has been an important landmark and attraction in Tucson for almost 75 years and has national significance as the “Birthplace of Quarter Horse Racing in the United States,” as stated in the National Register of Historic Places and began here in 1943. In fact, the “photo finish” camera used today in all authorized horse racing was invented here at the Rillito Racetrack.

Rillito Racing is a subsidiary of Rillito Park Foundation, which manages the annual Live racing season for the County featuring Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred racing.

In addition to managing racing operations, the operating agreement provides that Rillito Racing will invest $1 million over five years to improve facilities at the racetrack.

The Rillito Park Foundation secured a $1 million grant to fund facility improvements. Award of the grant was predicated on securing this four-year operating agreement.

A portion of the funding will be used to construct and install utilities at barn facilities on the racing grounds. Previous outdated barns were removed during construction of new soccer fields at Rillito Regional Park.

Other funding will be placed in a special revenue fund and used to pay for additional improvements in the future with the approval of the Board of Supervisors.

In addition to the annual winter horse-racing season, Rillito Regional Park features 11 sport fields, historic horseracing facilities and a racetrack. Concerts, community events and a weekly farmers market also are held at the park, which is adjacent to The Loop, Pima County’s linear park that features 100-plus miles of shared-use trails.

Winter Race Meet at Rillito Racetrack begins on Feb. 11 and goes through March 19. More information is available rillitoracetrack.com.