ITHA is Monitoring Hawthorne's Predicament

The Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association is gravely concerned about recent developments at Hawthorne Race Course and what they might portend for the thoroughbred meet scheduled to begin on Sunday, March 29.

Late Friday, the Illinois Racing Board took the remarkable step of cancelling weekend harness racing that was scheduled to occur today and tomorrow. The IRB ordered Hawthorne to temporarily cease live racing and for its OTBs to stop operations.

Illinois law requires that Hawthorne file with the IRB a bond — essentially, an insurance policy to help cover the track’s expenses in the event of financial difficulties. However, we learned Hawthorne has not filed that bond with the IRB, necessitating the IRB’s decision to cancel harness racing this weekend. Also troubling are continuing reports that checks issued by Hawthorne to horsemen have bounced due to insufficient funds.

These events serve only to compound the extraordinary stress facing Illinois thoroughbred owners and trainers due to Hawthorne’s delay in finalizing a deal to open a racino — more than six years after Illinois lawmakers granted that privilege to Hawthorne — that is necessary to reinvigorate our sport and industry. We recognize that owners and trainers must decide where to race this spring and are understandably frustrated and discouraged with the outlook at Hawthorne, which is expected to convert its track surface for thoroughbred workouts by around Friday, Feb. 20.

We do not have additional information to share at this time. We encourage the IRB to illuminate its regulatory decisions specific to Hawthorne. We also urge Hawthorne to take steps to immediately stabilize its financial condition and, consistent with its repeated promises, finalize the terms of a racino deal.

We will share new information as it becomes available to us.