Hawthorne Hopes to Overcome Obstacles

Live Thoroughbred racing returned to the Chicago area Feb. 20 as Hawthorne Race Course began its season amid frigid weather and an equally challenging financial and political landscape.

Still, management of the family-owned facility remains optimistic despite all the hurdles facing horse racing in a state that lacks any alternative source of revenue while awash in better-funded competition.

Hawthorne remained open for training during the winter and managed to keep the racing surface useable throughout much of the worst weather. That, plus cutbacks in racing days, should lead to competitive fields throughout the meet.

Despite a below-zero wind chill and snow showers, "the jockeys have stepped up and agreed to ride" the opening card, Hawthorne president Tim Carey said. "They have been great. The horsemen have been great. Everyone wants to see horse racing succeed in Illinois."

The first program attracted 68 horses for nine races with total purses of $126,000. That's an average of a little more than 7.5 starters per race.

The schedule calls for only Friday and Saturday racing during the second half of February. Sunday cards will be added in March, and Wednesday racing makes it four days a week in April. The spring meet closes April 26.

Hawthorne's two springtime graded stakes, the $400,000 Illinois Derby (gr. III) and the $150,000 Sixty Sails Handicap (gr. III) for fillies and mares, will be run April 18. The other six stakes, all for Illinois-breds, are scattered through the meet.

"That schedule plays well for us," Carey said. "It makes sense in terms of the horse population; there are about 835 or so horses on the grounds. It also works well leading into Arlington's schedule."

Among the riders, multiple Hawthorne title-holder Tim Thornton is back and expected to contend for another title. The top training echelon, including Scott Becker and Jim DiVito, also will be bidding for honors.

While the opening-day weather was challenging, the long-range forecast sees even colder weather the following weekend.

Colder yet is the economic climate for Illinois racing. The state's tracks have been struggling for years to win legislative approval to install slot machines, which they claim would put them on equal footing with better-funded tracks in neighboring states that currently are drawing away horses. Even more competition comes from slots being installed in bars, fraternal clubs, and other neighborhood spots under legislation approved several years ago.

Meanwhile, two bills authorizing slots at tracks passed the General Assembly but were vetoed by then-Gov. Pat Quinn, who lost his re-election bid in November. The new governor, Republican Bruce Rauner, has not articulated a position on gaming expansion but did replace the head of the state gaming board who had been a vocal opponent of both vetoed bills.

The state's harness tracks are in bankruptcy and operating month-to-month as a result of a huge verdict against them in a civil case dating back to now-imprisoned Gov. Rod Blagojevich's fund-raising shakedowns.

"Something has to give," Carey said. "How does the legislature say no to horse racing, to agribusiness? And I think the new governor has made it clear he will be looking for new sources of (state) revenue. I'm optimistic."