Hawthorne Racecourse (10/27/10)
Contact: Jim Miller
(708) 780-3700
Wind doesn't stop full fields at Hawthorne
Well, Mother Nature stuck out her ugly head on Tuesday, but fortunately, it didn’t last for very long. We did get some rain from Monday night, leading into Tuesday, but with the winds picking up and the sun poking out, things have dried up quickly. We have a fast track and are on the turf for our Wednesday card.
Looking at the weeks ahead, we have a lot going on here at Hawthorne. Fields continue to fill very well and handle has been up. Thanks to the support of our Horsemen and our fans, we are able to raise purses beginning with the card for November 3. It’s our way of giving back. If wagering can stay this strong, we may be able to do the same again in December.
Today we are drawing our races for our Illinois Festival of Racing. With the six stakes races on tap, we will be running a 10-race card on Saturday as we have great weather forecast and the fields remain full. We will put a special focus on these races on Friday night and Saturday afternoon as Joe Kristufek and myself host a pair of chats to focus on the six stakes races on HorseplayerNow.com. On Friday, at 8:00 pm CDT, Joe and I will spend an hour looking at the six stakes, analyze the races, and make selections.
On Saturday, Joe and I will be online throughout the racing card to look at all of the races. As always, we welcome input and selections as we analyze the races. Saturday will only take one or two winners for a winning day, hopefully Joe and I can produce five or six for everyone.
Changes
Main Track – Fast
Turf Course – Good
Race 8
Scratch #1a – Love That Kitten
Featured Race of the Day
It’s not everyday that I look to a maiden race for the Featured Race of the Day, but I really have a strong feeling about this race. $25,000 Maiden claimers go one mile on the turf as a few of these make a relatively quick return off races on October 16. One that has every right to improve off that last start is #4 – Blackhawk Red. This runner has great owners for one, and also has some potential. He was relegated to the back of the pack in his last start and when it came time to run, he never got any room to move. He finally got clear with 70 yards to go and exploded, but it was far too late. There is enough pace to chase, but he will also have to sit closer to the lead. Jock Perez gets the call today and he is riding the turf as good as anyone!
The Featured Race of the Day will offer fans a chance to win a $5,000 Wager on the Breeders’ Cup Classic through the Breeders’ Cup Super Bet. Simply play our Featured Race each day with your Club Hawthorne Card and you are automatically entered for your chance to win. The last day to qualify is October 30 and we will draw our winner the following day.
