Hawthorne Picks, Entries and Results

Hawthorne Track Details

Address: 3501 S Laramie Ave, Cicero, IL 60804

Website: www.hawthorneracecourse.com

Meeting:  Hawthorne Race Course puts on two different meets: thoroughbred and harness racing. The thoroughbred meet begins in mid-October and runs through late April, with a brief break in the month of February. Many of the track’s major races have not been run in recent years, including the Grade 3 Hawthorne Gold Cup and Grade 3 Illinois Derby, but it does still offer some stakes races for Illinois-breds on both turf and dirt worth $50,000. The harness meet occupies all other months of the year, from May to September.

History:  Situated just outside Chicago, Illinois, Hawthorne Race Course is the oldest continually run family-owned racetrack in the country. The track opened in 1891 and was built by Chicago businessman Edward Corrigan, who owned the 1890 Kentucky Derby winner Riley. Various stops and starts plagued the track in the early 20th century, with a fire bringing racing to a halt in 1902 and then a city-wide ban on horse racing a few years later that lasted until 1922, though a few illegal meets were attempted in that span. Conditions stabilized in the late 1920’s and the track began to flourish in the ensuing decades, with it reaching peak popularity in the 1960’s and 70’s. Though it’s now somewhat overshadowed by Arlington Park, the track continues to be a stalwart of the Illinois racing circuit. At 1,320 feet, its home stretch is one of the longest in the country.

Facilities:  Hawthorne sports a one-mile dirt oval and a seven-furlong turf course, with a spacious grandstand overlooking the track. The track also offers a rewards program called Club Hawthorne, which gives users a percentage of the money they wager back. Sign-up for Club Hawthorne is free.