Hawthorne Crisis Deepens as Horsemen Owed Nearly $1m

Hawthorne Race Course owes horsemen virtually $1m in unpaid 2025 prize cash. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Important excellent sums

Horsemen in Illinois are nonetheless ready for nearly $1m in funds because the saga involving the Hawthorne Race Course continues. The monitor within the Chicago suburbs hasn’t hosted a race but this yr after canceling 4 consecutive weekends of motion. The crux of the problem is frozen financial institution accounts, which it claims stop it from paying horsemen.

At an Illinois Racing Board (IRB) assembly on Wednesday, trade stakeholders expressed their frustrations on the state of affairs. Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Affiliation (IHHA) President Jeff Davis stated that members are due virtually $1m in 2025 prize cash.

Hawthorne President Tim Carey was a no-show on the assembly

He went on to comment that it’s disrespectful that Hawthorne President Tim Carey was a no-show on the assembly after the board requested his presence to provide an replace on the monetary points. Based on the Paulick Report, the monitor’s assistant normal supervisor and director of racing appeared, however they couldn’t reply the required questions.

Probably the tip of an period

IHHA Govt Director detailed how 66 horsemen had checks totaling greater than $582,000 bounce. Hawthorne additionally misplaced a judgment not too long ago from Churchill Downs for $1.6m in unpaid simulcast settlement charges for the earlier 12 months. There are additionally six-figure sums owed to the ITHA and IHHA.

Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Affiliation (ITHA) Govt Director David McCaffrey went so far as saying that there’s “an excellent probability that the final horse race within the Chicago space has been raced.”

Harness racing has been a staple within the area because the opening of Hawthorne Race Course in 1891. Different tracks to shut within the Chicago space embody Balmoral Park and Maywood Park in 2015, and Arlington Park in 2021.

Thoroughbred season up within the air

The harness racing calendar is already in disarray and the thoroughbred races are resulting from start on March 29 and run by September 1. Work to transition the monitor to thoroughbreds is about to start on February 16.

An announcement a couple of new potential racino companion can be anticipated from Hawthorne across the identical time. It has had the choice to open such a facility since 2019, however varied points have repeatedly stalled it.