Hawthorne's Harness Meet Ready for Action
Hawthorne’s Harness Meet Ready for Action
Hawthorne Race Course launches its six weeks of harness racing excitement on Friday, June 22nd, replete with action packed racing and plenty of entertainment for the fans. The first Saturday of the meet, June 23rd, also kicks off our stakes program where two $60,000 races for three year olds, The Chicago for colts, and The Lady Chicago for fillies will be the co-feature races for opening weekend.
There will be fifteen stakes races in all, with total purses likely to reach nearly $800,000. Stakes will be run for two year olds, three year olds and older runners, and will climax on August 4th with The Night of Champions Card, highlighted by eight Illinois Bred stake races, and the 5th renewal of The Robert F. Carey, Jr. Memorial Open Pace.
The Chicago and The Lady Chicago are new introductions to the stakes schedule, and Racing Secretary Billy Perkins is hopeful these races can become a staple for the summer meet. “We wanted to start something special for the three year olds, and we think this can take off,” Perkins said. As for the names of the stakes, Perkins offered this. “Hawthorne is Chicago racing. I think it’s important that a potentially important race have an appropriate title.”
Many of the stakes such as the Cub and Sox Pacing Series will have preliminary run-offs that will determine entries into the “finals”, but perhaps no race will attract as much attention as the Erwin F. Dygert Memorial Open Trot.
Named after the founder of Suburban Downs, the Dygert will be run for the 34th time, with the preliminary event slated for July 14th and the $100,000 final conducted one week later on July 21st.
In addition to the fifteen early and late closing stakes, Perkins has scheduled four overnight stakes with an estimated combined purse of $60,000.
Here is the complete rundown of the summer stakes schedule including the overnights:
| STAKES RACE | AGE / SEX | DISTANCE | PURSE | MORE INFO | Sat, Jun 23rd | The Chicago | 3 yo Colts | Pace | $60,000 |
| Sat, Jun 23rd | The Lady Chicago | 3 yo Fillies | Pace | $60,000 |
| Fri, Jul 6th | The Dunkster Trotting Series | N/W 5or6 | Trot | $25,000 |
| Sat, Jul 7th | The Cubs Pacing Series | N/W 5 | Pace | $25,000 |
| Sun, Jul 8th | The Sox Pacing Series | N/W 5 | Pace | $25,000 |
| Sat, Jul 21st | The Erwin F. Dygert Memorial Open Trot | Open | Trot | $100,000 |
| Sat, Aug 4th | The Robert F. Carey, Jr. Memorial Open Pace | Open | Pace | $100,000 |
| Sat, Aug 4th | The Star Slinger | 2 yo Fillies | Trot | $50,000 |
| Sat, Aug 4th | The Plesac | 2 yo Colts | Trot | $50,000 |
| Sat, Aug 4th | The Broadway Tax | 2 yo Fillies | Pace | $50,000 |
| Sat, Aug 4th | The Fox Valley Dynamic | 2 yo Colts | Pace | $50,000 |
| Sat, Aug 4th | The Fox Valley Evita | 3 yo Fillies | Trot | $50,000 |
| Sat, Aug 4th | The Gumcorner Lad | 3 yo Colts | Trot | $50,000 |
| Sat, Aug 4th | The Determination Plus | 3 yo Fillies | Pace | $50,000 |
| Sat, Aug 4th | The Master Shawn | 3 yo Colts | Pace | $50,000 |
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Also on an overnight basis:
The Forest View Pacing Series
(F&M N/W 2 races/claimer) Final $15,000 est.
The Stickney Pacing Series
(C&G N/W 2 races/claimer) Final $15,000 est.
The Berwyn Pacing Series
(F&M N/W 4 races/claimer) Final $15,000 est.
The Cicero Pacing Series
(C&G N/W 4 races/claimer) Final $15,000 est
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