Contact: Jim Miller
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2003 NJC-Hawthorne Stakes Schedules Announced

STICKNEY, IL -- On Tuesday December 10, the Illinois Racing Board approved the stakes schedule for National Jockey Club and Hawthorne Race Course for 2003. The stakes schedule will be very lucrative, as the 23 stakes between the combined meets to be run at Hawthorne, will add up to over $3,850,000 in purse money.

A pair of events will highlight the meets as the Grade 2 Illinois Derby returns as a spring staple, running four weeks before the Kentucky Derby. In last year's running of the $500,000 event, War Emblem pulled off the upset en-route to his wins in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness.

The Grade 2 Hawthorne Gold Cup returns to the fall meet, which will once again be positioned as a top Breeders' Cup prep. Past winners of the Gold Cup who have gone on to Breeders' Cup victories have been Buck's Boy and Awesome Again. The Gold Cup has been a stepping-stone for many top handicap horses and the pot will be sweetened in 2003 as the purse for the Gold Cup has been raised from $500,000 to $750,000.

In addition to the Illinois Derby and Hawthorne Gold Cup, four other graded stakes will be contested in 2003: the National Jockey Club Handicap (Grade 3) on April 19, the Sixty Sails Handicap (Grade 3) on April 26, the Hawthorne Derby (Grade 3) on October 18, and the Robert F. Carey Memorial Handicap (Grade 3) on November 1.

Listed below is the entire stakes schedule for 2003:

National Jockey Club/Hawthorne Race Course 2003 Stakes Schedule

Date Race Conditions
March 29 Lady Hallie Handicap 4-Year-Olds & Up F&M 1 1/16 Miles $100,000 G
April 5 Illinois Derby (Grade II) 3-Year-Olds 1 1/8 Miles $500,000 G
April 12 Violet Stakes 3-Year-Old Fillies (IL) 3/4 Mile $100,000 A
Land Of Lincoln Stakes 3-Year-Olds (IL) 3/4 Mile $100,000 A
Governor's Lady Handicap 4-Year-Olds & Up F&M (IL) 3/4 Mile $100,000 A
Chicagoland Handicap 4-Year-Olds & Up (IL) 3/4 Mile $100,000 A
Peach Of It Handicap 3-Year-Olds & Up F&M (IL) 1 1/16 Miles $100,000 A
Milwaukee Avenue Handicap 3-Year-Olds & Up (IL) 1 1/16 Miles $100,000 A
April 19 National Jockey Club Handicap (Grade III) 3-Year-Olds & Up 1 1/8 Miles $250,000 G
April 26 Sixty Sails Handicap (Grade III) 3-Year-Olds & Up F&M 1 1/8 Miles $250,000 G
September 28 Hawthorne Gold Cup (Grade II) 3-Year-Olds & Up 1 1/4 Miles $750,000 G
October 11 Indian Maid Stakes Handicap 3-Year-Olds & Up F&M 1 1/16 Miles (turf) $100,000 G
October 18 Hawthorne Derby (Grade III) 3-Year-Olds 1 1/8 Miles (turf) $250,000 G
November 1 Robert F. Carey Memorial Handicap (Grade III) 3-Year-Olds & Up 1 Mile (turf) $150,000 G
November 8 Showtime Deb Stakes 2-Year-Olds Fillies (IL) 3/4 Mile $100,000 A
Sun Power Stakes 2-Year-Olds (IL) 3/4 Mile $100,000 A Powerless Stakes Handicap 3-Year-Olds & Up F&M (IL) 3/4 Mile $100,000 A
Lightning Jet Stakes Handicap 3-Year-Olds & Up (IL) 3/4 Mile $100,000 A
Illini Princess Handicap 3-Year-Olds & Up F&M (IL) 1 1/16 Miles $100,000 A
Robert F. Carey, II Handicap 3-Year-Olds & Up (IL) 1 1/16 Miles $100,000 A
November 15 Hawthorne Oaks 3-Year-Old Fillies 1 1/16 Miles $100,000 G
December 13 Illinois Breeders' Debutante 2-Year-Olds Fillies (IL) 1 1/16 Miles $100,000 E
December 20 Jim Edgar Illinois Futurity 2-Year-Olds (IL) 1 1/16 Miles $100,000 E

IL - denotes race is restricted to registered Illinois Conceived and/or Foaled
A- denotes added; G- denotes guaranteed; E- denotes estimated.