Nearly six years ago Illinois lawmakers granted Hawthorne Race Course in southwest suburban Stickney the rights to build a casino at the track, and they also received veto power to turn down other tracks within a 35 mile radius of Hawthorne.
However, the ‘racino’ has yet to come to fruition.
This past weekend the Illinois Racing Board informed Hawthorne owners it had failed to submit required bonds to obtain a racing license in 2026, and as a result Hawthorne canceled its races that weekend.
The IRB tells NBC 5 they rectified the issue and now have the necessary license for 2026, allowing for horses to return to the track.
The situation came after members of the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association say they received multiple bounced checks from Hawthorne for their purses.
“It’s how horsemen in Illinois make money. It’s like your business that you work for shutting down with less than 24 hours notice and you’re not getting paid,” said IHHA President Jeff Davis. “We’re concerned. We want them to be able to pay for the racing we’re racing today.”
He said the financial woes at Hawthorne do not set the stage for the only race track in the Chicago area to deliver what the industry needs to survive.
Davis pointed to House Bill 2427, which he hopes will be called in the next House session, as a lifeline for the industry.
In part, it would take away the exclusivity of Hawthorne’s veto power to pave a path for other companies to build a race track in the area.
“It’s not an immediate fix, we still have to rely on Hawthorne for the near future, but it puts us on the right path going forward,” he said. “If we want to save this industry they need to pass that bill.”
The uncertain future for Illinois’ horse racing scene is causing longtime drivers and trainers to reconsider staying in the state.
“You can imagine to have a place for 50 years and having to decide on the spot right now that you’re going to have to go somewhere else or sell all your horses,” said Casey Leonard, co-owner of Rush Creek Farm in Harvard Illinois.
Leonard is a third generation horseman and a top driver in the state. His father is a trainer.
“We’ve made the weekly trek into Chicago to one of their tracks over the past 50 years,” he said. “Never in a million years would we have dreamt that it was going to come to this.”
Leonard said his brother already moved out of Illinois and has his business in Indiana.
He said in order to revitalize and save the industry it would take more tracks, and fulfilled promises to build out the ‘racino.’
“We just need them [Hawthorne] to either move along, give the license to somebody else, take a partner or do it themselves,” Leonard said. “When you see a two minute race you don’t realize how many people’s lives are at stake because of the horses that are on the track. From blacksmiths, to feed men to the people we buy our trucks and trailers from.”
The Harness Horsemen share the track with the Thoroughbreds, who are also concerned for the future of the industry.
Chris Block, President of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association said in a statement to NBC 5:
“We are gravely concerned about Hawthorne’s continued delays in opening a racino to reinvigorate the sport and industry of thoroughbred horse racing, save jobs, boost local tourism, and help the state diversify its tax revenue base. The time is now for Hawthorne to honor its commitment to the hard-working families of Illinois — and the intent of state legislators — by building and operating its racino.”
NBC 5 reached out to Hawthorne’s spokesperson but have not heard back.
Hence then, the article about illinois horsemen fight for the future of racing in the state was published today ( ) and is available on NBC Chicago ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Illinois Horsemen fight for the future of racing in the state )
Also on site :
- Several Denver-area gas stations pumped contaminated fuel this week, King Soopers warns
- Anthropic adds Allianz to growing list of enterprise wins
- Pierre Fabre Laboratories and Iktos Announce an Integrated AI-Driven Drug Discovery Collaboration in Oncology