Hawthorne Racecourse (4/2/10)
Contact: Ron Uchman
(708) 780-3700
TVG and Hawthorne Team Up for Illinois Derby Coverage
Stickney, IL – Television Games Network (TVG) and Hawthorne Race Course are proud to announce a joint partnership for full, exclusive coverage of The Illinois Derby presented by TVG and other races from Hawthorne Race Course on Saturday, April 3.
TVG was on hand at Hawthorne multiple times in 2009 as the network provided coverage of the Illinois Derby and the Grade II $500,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup last fall. Coverage continued through the fall meet, increasing the visibility of racing at Hawthorne significantly.
The Grade III $500,000 Illinois Derby will be run as the seventh race on the Hawthorne card for April 3 with a post time of 4:37 pm CST. The Derby closed with 89 nominations as the 1 1/8 miles race has sent its last eight winners on to starts in the Kentucky Derby.
“We are very excited, and privileged to have TVG onsite to cover our racing action from Hawthorne on Illinois Derby Day,” stated Hawthorne Assistant General Manager Jim Miller. “Our goal is to promote the great racing product here at Hawthorne and we noticed increased handle every time TVG has been at Hawthorne to cover our races. This is a partnership that we hope to see thrive for many years to come.”
Stephen Burn, TVG CEO stated, “TVG, like its parent company Betfair, is committed to working with racing to promote the sport to as wide an audience as possible. The opportunity to support a race with both a strong history as well as relevance to today's fans is something we're thrilled to be able to do.”
Hawthorne Race Course is in its 101st year of racing under Carey family ownership. Hawthorne races Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday – Sunday with a first post of 1:35 pm CST daily through April 25. For more information on racing at Hawthorne, visit our website at www.Hawthorneracecourse.com. For more information on TVG, please visit www.tvg.com.
