Thursday, September 25 2008

The 72nd Hawthorne Gold Cup (G2) Headlines Stakes

On a day when Curlin looks to become the first $10 million dollar earner in Thoroughbred history…in that other ‘Gold Cup,’ seven salty veterans with combined earnings of nearly $5 million will do battle in Chicago’s signature fall classic: The Hawthorne Gold Cup.

On Saturday, September 27, the 72nd running of this Grade 2, $500,000 mile and a quarter race will feature multiple graded stakes winners, but the post time favorite will likely be either Fairbanks or Magna Graduate, not so coincidentally the first and second choices in the morning line odds.

Friday, September 19 2008

Star-Studded list of Nominees for 72nd Hawthorne Gold Cup

Nominations are complete for the Gold Cup, no, not the Jockey Club Gold Cup, but the venerable Grade 2, $500,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup, which will be run on Saturday, September 27. The 72nd edition of Hawthorne’s signature fall race has 20 nominees, including defending champion Student Council, and last year’s third place finisher, A.P. Arrow.

Who actually races in the one-mile and one-quarter dirt race will be determined next week, but the quality of the field may shape up to be first rate.

Trainer Steve Asmussen may not have nominated Curlin (you can find him in that other ‘Gold Cup’), but he has graded winners Magna Graduate and Zanjero on the list of possible starters, in addition to the aforementioned Student Council.

Wednesday, September 17 2008

Get Ready Horseplayers…Big Money up for grabs as Thoroughbreds return to Hawthorne

No question it seems like a lifetime between the Spring Thoroughbred meet and the Fall Thoroughbred meet, but with idle time comes the opportunity for big ideas, and Hawthorne will offer exciting new handicapping contests to kick off the new season.

Two contests will highlight the Fall campaign which begins on Friday, September 26, and with it, the possibility of making a ridiculous killing, should all things turn out perfect.

Friday, August 15 2008

Hawthorne Summer Harness Recap

Stickney, IL---The Hawthorne Summer Harness Meet was a success by most any measure.

On site handle increased by nearly 11 percent, as full fields, contentious races, and a cornucopia of promotions brought more people to the Stickney venue.

The quality of racehorse was evident by no less than four new track-record performances, either equaled or surpassed, and by the continued popularity of the Harness Racing School, which has introduced scores of new fans into the standardbred arena.

Sunday, August 03 2008

Southern Rocketop Ignites Hawthornes Night of Champions

Stickney, IL--The fourth annual Night of Champions at Hawthorne Race Course on Saturday, August 2 anointed the newest kings and queens of Illinois-breds. Eight divisions of 2 and 3-year pacers and trotters of both sexes battled it out for supremacy. They were led by Southern Rocketop, who for the second straight week obliterated the track record for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings, and Maxter, who won his eighth straight race and cemented his hold on the 3-year-old trotting division. In addition, leading driver Mike Oosting and Brent Holland each won three stakes.

Here’s a brief recap of each race as the champions were crowned.

It’s Champion’s Night!:Hawthorne’s Fourth Annual Illinois-Bred Stakes Night

For the last two weeks Illinois-bred 2 and 3-year-olds of both genders and gaits have mixed it up for a chance to participate in tonight’s Night of Champions. The top ten money-earners from the two legs have earned the chance for a big payday as $534,000 will be on the line for nine stakes including the Robert F. Carey Jr. Memorial Pace.

Let’s preview the Championship races and the top contenders.

Saturday, August 02 2008

Night of Champions: Two-Year Old Trotters in Spotlight

Southern Rocketop Tries to Top Record-Setting Performance In Maxter

Stickney, IL---As part of Hawthorne’s annual Night of Champions that takes place tomorrow night, we’ll feature a pair of Trotting events, The Maxter and the Lil Bit Tuff, for ICF 2-year-olds.

Much of the attention will be focused on Claude Powers’ talented colt, Southern Rocketop, the probable favorite in the Maxter Final, for 2-year-old ICF Colt and Gelding Trotters. In a dominating and track-record shattering performance, Southern Rocketop, with driver Brian Carpenter in the bike, grabbed the immediate lead and never let a rival within three lengths of him, ultimately winning by nine lengths. He stopped the clock in 1:57.3, lowering the standard of 1:59.1, that was set last year by Maxter himself and equaled the previous week by Definer, another member of this field.

Wednesday, July 30 2008

Walter Paisley’s back for Hawthorne’s Night of Champions

A couple of weeks ago the name of iconic driver Walter Paisley appeared on the overnight for a Qualifier. Some of us thought that it was a typo. It wasn’t.

You see, the 67-year-old “Butch” Paisley retired from active driving in 1993 with purses earned in excess of $34,000,000 and over 5,700 victories. He’s a member of the Illinois Harness Racing Hall of Fame. But, his last win in a pari-mutuel race came in 2005.

Sunday, July 27 2008

Action Figure Dominates Robert F. Carey Jr. Memorial Preview

Stickney, IL---The Robert F. Carey Memorial Preview held Saturday, July 26, at Hawthorne Race Course was the stage for a powerful performance by Hazel Park invader Action Figure, as the 5-year-old gelding held off 4-5 favorite Load The Dice and scored by one and three-quarter lengths in a career best time of 1:49.4. Last year’s Carey Memorial winner Thisbigdogwilfight finished third, beaten more than two lengths by the winner.

Sunday, July 13 2008

Dink Adoo ‘Cheats’ Favorite in Dygert Memorial

Stickney, IL---Sometimes the fourth time’s the charm.

The Panhellenic Stable Corporation’s Dink Adoo showed that perseverance and talent will eventually win the day when in his fourth attempt at the $90,000 Erwin F. Dygert Memorial Trot, the nine-year-old gelding took top prize. He rallied from last to first to put a head in front of favored Before He Cheats and win Hawthorne’s most prestigious trotting event.

L T’s Best finished third, beaten only a quarter-length for all the money.

Friday, July 11 2008

The Dygert Memorial… Alive and Well

For as long as Hawthorne Race Course has conducted a harness meet, the Erwin F. Dygert Memorial Trot has been its featured racing event. And though times have changed and purse structures slightly altered, the race continues to attract some of the best trotters in the land, evidenced by the $3,668,194 earned by the nine-horse field.

The 2008 edition of the Dygert Memorial, to be run Saturday night at Hawthorne, will offer a purse of $90,000, not a shabby total, and besides it is possible, that sometimes, mind you sometimes, the event itself can supersede the cash reward.