Contact: Mickey Ezzo
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IRB assigns 2008 race dates

At its meeting on September 18, 2007, the Illinois Racing Board approved the following racing schedule for 2008:

THOROUGHBRED

Track	Dates	Live Race Programs	Host Simulcast Programs
Hawthorne Race Course	January 1 thru January 13 (dark on Jan. 7 and 8); and March 3 thru March 6 (dark host period); and March 7 thru May 1 (racing 5 days per week, dark Tuesdays, Wednesdays, March 23 and May 1); and September 26 thru December 31, (racing 5 days per week dark on Mondays, Tuesdays, Oct. 15, Nov. 27, Dec. 24 and Dec. 25; racing on October 13)
	HAWTHORNE TOTAL	115	170
Arlington Park Racecourse	January 14 thru March 2 (dark host period); and May 2 thru June 14 (racing 4 days per week, dark Mon., Tues, and Wed., racing on May 26); and June 15 thru September 6 (racing 5 days per week, dark on Mondays and Tuesdays; racing on September 1); and September 7 thru September 25 (racing 4 days per week, dark on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sept. 25)
	ARLINGTON TOTAL	97	196
	TOTAL UPSTATE THOROUGHBRED	212	366
Fairmount Park	March 4 thru September 27 (racing 3 programs per week, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays)	90	N/A
	TOTAL THOROUGHBRED	302	366

HARNESS

Track	Dates	Live Race Programs	Host Simulcast Programs
Balmoral Park	January 1 thru June 23 (racing 4 nights per week, dark on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and February 3); and August 9 thru December 31 (racing 4 nights per week, dark on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and December 24)
	BALMORAL TOTAL	182	230
Maywood Park Trotting Association	January 3 thru June 20; and August 8 thru December 26 (racing 2 nights per week on Thursdays and Fridays, dark on November 27 and December 25)
	MAYWOOD TOTAL	89	91
Suburban Downs at Hawthorne Race Course	June 24 thru August 7 (racing 6 nights per week, dark on Mondays)	39	45
	TOTAL HARNESS	310	366
	TOTAL THOROUGHBRED AND HARNESS	612	732