For Immediate Release
Contact: Jim Miller (708) 780-3700
JimMiller@ClubHawthorne.com
Summer Racing, Lowest
WPS Takeout as Hawthorne Thoroughbred Season Opens
STICKNEY, IL – With the shift in the dynamic of live racing
in Illinois, Hawthorne Race Course will begin their extended spring/summer
thoroughbred season on Sunday March 5.
Traditionally racing spring and fall thoroughbred meets, the shift to
summer live racing will allow horsemen the ability to stay in one location for
the majority of the year while offering turf racing for an extended period. In
addition to the shift in schedule, Hawthorne Race Course will also offer the
lowest takeout in the country on Win-Place-Show wagers.
Following
the completion of the 2022 fall thoroughbred season, Hawthorne remained open
for training, offering horsemen a location to stay during the winter while
keeping horses fit. A mild winter with limited precipitation has allowed for
many more horses to keep consistent training patterns in preparation for the
start of the spring season. With more horses on the grounds and busy workout
tabs, 69 horses have been entered for the nine race Sunday opening day card.
During the first three months of the season, Hawthorne will be racing live on
Sunday and Thursday with a 2:30 PM post.
“We made
the decision to get away from Saturday racing in the spring for multiple
reasons,” stated Hawthorne Director Of Racing Jim Miller. “Saturdays are full
with so many marquee racing days in the spring across the country that we
didn’t feel it was the smartest to compete against those venues. By shifting
Saturday racing to Thursday in the spring we will face less competition on the
national scene while being able to make Hawthorne a more visible track to the
wagering public. Additionally, once FanDuel Racing begins their season
downstate, we wanted to give Illinois horsemen as many opportunities to race in
the state. By racing on Saturdays during the first three months we would have
been in direct competition with each other and that would not have been
beneficial to anyone.”
While
live thoroughbred racing begins in March, the expanded summer meet will also
bring on the potential for more turf racing at Hawthorne. With the spring meets
at Hawthorne traditionally allowing only a couple of weeks on the turf and the
fall meet producing only six weeks of grass racing, the schedule shift in 2023
will bring about much more turf potential.
Turf racing at Hawthorne is expected to commence in May as a full four
months of racing on the grass is likely during the summer season. Along with
overnight racing, five stakes will be run on the Hawthorne turf this summer,
featured by the return of the Hawthorne Derby, Presented by BetMakers
on Sunday, June 25.
Many
familiar faces have remained at Hawthorne throughout the winter training as
past Hawthorne training champions Hugh Robertson, Brittany Vanden Berg and
Scott Becker have had strings on the grounds all winter long. Additionally
Larry Rivelli, Chris Block, Frank Kirby, Michele
Boyce and Armando Hernandez have also left horses as Hawthorne to train this winter.
With numerous Hawthorne riding titles under his belt, Chris Emigh
will be back in the saddle at Hawthorne this spring along with another
Hawthorne champ in Victor Santiago. Veterans Julio Felix, Emmanuel Esquivel and
Constantino Roman also return while Sebastian Saez
comes to Chicago, looking to make his mark in 2023.
For the
player, Hawthorne Race Course is also making a splash on the wagering end in
2023. While low 15% takeout rates are already offered on the popular Pick 4 and
Pick 5 wagers, Hawthorne Race Course will now be offering the lowest takeout in
the country on Win, Place and Show wagers. For the 2023 season, takeout on
these wagers has been lowered to 12%.
“When a
person is first introduced to wagering on racing, Win, Place and Show are typically
the first way someone will play a race,” stated Hawthorne Assistant General
Manager John Walsh. “Win, Place and Show remain some of the most popular wagers
and typically combine to produce the largest pools on a card. With the added
exposure we are expecting Hawthorne to receive in 2023 due to the shift to
summer racing, along with our Thursday cards, we want to provide the best value
in the country for our customers. We are expecting fuller fields, more turf
racing and very competitive racing all summer long. The reduction in WPS
takeout puts more into the bettors’ pockets and we believe will also increase
the pools to benefit racing for horsemen in the state of Illinois.”
Hawthorne Race Course, Chicago’s
Hometown Track, races two live meets in 2023. Spring thoroughbred racing kicks
off on Sunday, March 5 and races through Monday, September 4. During the spring
meet, first post daily at Hawthorne will be 2:30 PM.
Harness racing returns to Hawthorne after completion of racing at the Illinois
State Fairs. Live harness racing begins Saturday, September 9, racing through
the end of the year. Hawthorne is open daily for full-card
simulcasting as well as for sports wagering in the PointsBet
Sportbook. For any information about Hawthorne Race Course visit our website
www.HawthorneRaceCourse.com.
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