For Immediate Release
Contact: Jim Miller (708) 780-3700
JimMiller@ClubHawthorne.com
Speaking Scout,
Encourage Lead Competitive Hawthorne Derby
STICKNEY, IL – A competitive field of nine was drawn on
Monday for the $100,000 Hawthorne Derby, presented by BetMakers. The 52nd running of the Hawthorne
Derby will take place as race seven on Saturday at 1 1/8 miles on the Hawthorne
turf course.
The very evenly matched field is led by Speaking Scout, from
the barn of Graham Motion. Owned by
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Speaking Scout comes into the Hawthorne Derby as
one of the more seasoned runners, making 11 career starts. Racing primarily on the turf in 2022,
Speaking Scout followed up a sixth-place finish in the Grade 3 Kitten’s Joy at
Gulfstream in February with an allowance score over the Keeneland turf in
April. That victory was followed by four
consecutive turf stakes efforts. Speaking
Scout finished a good fourth in the Grade 3 Kent at Delaware on July 2, followed
by a fourth-place finish in the Bald Eagle Derby at Laurel on August 6. His
most recent race came in the Dueling Grounds Derby on September 5, a race where
he was only a length off the lead mid-stretch before tiring late. Speaking Scout is the 3-1 morning line
favorite in the Hawthorne Derby and will be ridden by Jareth Loveberry.
Second-choice at 7-2 is Encourage from the barn of Kenny McPeek. Owned by
Stephen Baker, the move to the turf has brought out a different racehorse in
2022. After three juvenile starts on the
main track that produced no better than a fourth-place finish, Encourage was away from the races for eight months before
returning on August 12. In that maiden
race at Ellis Park, Encourage settled mid-pack early before
rallying late to win by a head. He
returned three weeks later at Kentucky Downs, producing a big performance in a
turf allowance, again resulting in a head victory. Chris Emigh rides
Encourage on Saturday.
Another horse that has been fantastic since moving to the
turf is American Mayhem for owner Doubledown Stables,
Inc. and trainer James DiVito. Debuting this May, American Mayhem made three
starts on the Churchill Downs dirt before moving to the turf. He rallied from the back of the pack to break
his maiden on July 24 at Ellis Park and followed that victory with an allowance
score at Ellis on August 26. He tried
stakes-company in his most recent start, finishing third in the Gun Runner
Stakes as the favorite. Orlando Mojica
gets the call on the 4-1 third choice.
Trainer Mike Maker sends a pair out in the Hawthorne Derby
with 6-1 Wicked Genius and 8-1 Camp David.
Owned by Paradise Farms Corp. & David Staudacher,
Wicked Genius was claimed into the Maker barn on April 14 for $50,000 off a
sixth-place effort at Keeneland. In his next start, he shifted to the turf at
Churchill and was a winner when in for a $75,000 tag. He followed that race with another turf
score, this time at Kentucky Downs against Starter-company on September 1. Jose Lopez rides Wicked Genius. Camp David draws the rail for owner Three
Diamonds Farm. After a maiden victory to
close out his two-year-old season last October at Keeneland, Camp David made
his first three-year-old start at Horseshoe Indianapolis on May 17, winning a dirt
allowance. After a fifth-place finish in
the Grade 3 Matt Winn on June 12, Camp David chased the pace before tiring in
his most recent start in the Gun Runner at Kentucky Downs.
Hugh Robertson also has a pair in the Hawthorne Derby with Xavey Dave and Tonka Warrior. The Minnesota-bred Xavey
Dave is owned by the Estate of Warren L. Bush. Spending the winter in New
Orleans, Xavey Dave won a Fair Grounds turf allowance
on March 25. After a fourth-place effort in a Keenland turf allowance in April,
Xavey Dave spent the summer at Canterbury Park. He
made four stakes starts at Canterbury, most recently finishing second in the
Blair’s Cove on September 10. Eduardo
Gallardo rode Xavey Dave in that race and rides again
on Saturday. Tonka Warrior enters the
Hawthorne Derby with three victories from seven career starts. After finishing third in his debut at Oaklawn
on April 23, Tonka Warrior also spent the summer at Canterbury, breaking his
maiden and winning a pair of allowance races, one of those coming on the
turf. Victor Santiago rides Tonka
Warrior for owner Xtreme Racing Stables, LLC.
Bens Malice enters the Hawthorne Derby as the most seasoned
horse, making 13 starts and winning three races. Owned by Pete Mattson and trained by Tim
Padilla, Bens Malice has made nine starts on the turf, finishing first or
second in seven of those nine races. Along
with a pair of allowance wins on the turf, Bens Malice finished second in the
Columbia Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on March 12. He also posted a runner-up
effort in the Mystic Lake Derby on June 22 and finished third in the Minnesota
Derby on August 13 at Canterbury. Regular
rider Alonso Quinonez is in to ride Bens Malice.
Protonic Power races for owner Antonio Donato and Armando
Hernandez. After posting a couple of early season wins at Gulfstream Park,
Protonic Power was claimed for $16,000 at Ellis on July 17 and then claimed
again for $30,000 two weeks later at Ellis.
His most recent performance was a third-place effort at Horseshoe
Indianapolis on September 14 in an allowance race that was taken off the
turf. Javier Tavares rides in the
Hawthorne Derby.
Hawthorne Race Course, Chicago’s
Hometown Track, races year-round in 2022. The winter harness season concluded
on Sunday, March 20. Spring thoroughbreds kicked off Saturday, April 2 and
concluded Saturday, June 25. The summer harness season began on Thursday, June
30 and raced through Sunday, September 11. Fall thoroughbreds returned on
Friday, September 23 and race through Saturday, December 31. For any
information about Hawthorne Race Course visit our website
www.HawthorneRaceCourse.com.
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