Hawthorne opens Saturday with purse boost for spring meet
Thoroughbred racing will return to the Chicago area’s lone remaining track, Hawthorne Race Course, on Saturday. The new season features increased purses for most races, including maiden allowances, which have moved from $21,000 to $40,000 according to a release from Hawthorne.
The season will include eight stakes races, four on turf, all for $75,000. None of the stakes will take place opening weekend, which features eight races each on Saturday and Sunday.
“We are very excited about the spring meet,” Hawthorne assistant general manager John Walsh said in a press release. “The horsemen of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association have already shown great support in the entry box. The increased purses have been a major draw. Also, to start building a stakes schedule once again shows that things are headed in right direction at Hawthorne.”
The top two leading trainers from the most recent Hawthorne Thoroughbred meet, which took place October through December, have no entries opening weekend. Scott Becker, who finished third behind Steve Manley and Brittany Vandenberg, has one horse entered on Sunday.
Leading jockey Christopher Emigh will not be at Hawthorne for opening weekend, instead riding at Santa Anita. However, second-place finisher E.T. Baird, who won 24 races during the last meet, will be back, with four rides on Sunday.
Jareth Loveberry and Javier Tavares, who tied for third during the fall meet with 23 wins each, also are set to return. Loveberry will ride seven horses Saturday and in all eight races on Sunday, while Tavares will be aboard seven Saturday and six Sunday.
Win, place and show bets, along with exactas and Daily Doubles all feature a $1 minimum, with a 17 percent takeout on WPS and 20.5 percent on exactas and doubles. Trifectas (25 percent takeout), along with Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5 and Pick 6 bets will have a 50 cent minimum.
Pick 3 wagering will have a 25 percent takeout, along with Superfectas (20 cent minimums). The other horizontals will feature a 15 percent takeout, besides the 20 cent High-5, a jackpot wager with a 20 percent takeout. First post on Saturday at Hawthorne is scheduled for 3:50 p.m. EDT.