Blue in Phoenix: This Arizona sporting event will paint grass to honor Boise State
Thanks to the Broncos’ perfect three-for-three record, the Fiesta Bowl already feels like a home away from home for many Boise State fans. But anytime the team leaves the friendly confines of the Treasure Valley, it has to leave at least one thing behind: the blue turf.
But this time around, when Boise State travels to Glendale, Arizona, for its fourth Fiesta Bowl appearance later this month, there will be a strip of blue grass just a short distance away.
The National Thoroughbred League, a new horse racing format in which teams and racers compete for an end-of-season championship, will paint the home stretch of its race track in Phoenix blue later this month.
The race is titled the Bronco Nation Stakes, a subtle nod to the Blue Grass Stakes, which is held in Lexington, Kentucky, every April at Keeneland.
It won’t just be the blue grass repping Boise State at the races.
According to an NTL press release, several former Broncos, including Austin Pettis, Shea McClellin and Alex Guerrero, are expected to attend. Pettis and McClellin were on the Boise State team that won the 2010 Fiesta Bowl.
The NTL Championship Cup races will take place at Turf Paradise throughout the day Dec. 30, a day before the Broncos face the winner of No. 6 Penn State and No. 11 SMU in the Fiesta Bowl.
Turf Paradise is about a 25-minute drive from Glendale, where the Fiesta Bowl is played, and tickets start at $30.
This story was originally published December 18, 2024 at 4:00 AM.
