Hawthorne attempts to usher in spring as meet opens

In the midst of a winter that has included both record snowfall and record

cold temperatures, the weather looks to break this weekend as the Hawthorne

spring meet kicks off Friday.

While the fall meet ended with some

uncertainty as to the future of racing in the state, an extension to the

Advanced Deposit Wagering bill in Illinois was approved at the end of January to

insure a full racing schedule for 2014. Horsemen have had to play catch-up

quickly to prepare for the opener but many are ready to run as 69 horses are

entered on the opening day card.

"The has been a very tough winter on everyone," Hawthorne President and General Manager Tim Carey

stated. "Our track crew has done a

great job to allow for us to train as much as we have during this dark period.

"That being said, we know many horsemen are behind in their training but as

things warm up, we expect they will catch up quickly. I expect us to gather

momentum as the meet progresses and I'm looking forward to another strong

Illinois Derby in April."

Hawthorne's stakes schedule is highlighted by a pair of days that covers the

end of April. A total of $850,000 in stakes

races will be contested on April 19, with the feature being the 57th running of the Grade 3,

$500,000 Illinois Derby.

Early closing for the Illinois Derby is February 14,

and the race is once again positioned to draw a large and competitive field. In 2013,

Departing used the Illinois Derby as a springboard to victories in the West Virginia Derby and

Super Derby later in the year.

Joining the Illinois Derby on April 19 will also be

the Grade 3 Sixty Sails Handicap. The $150,000 event for fillies and mares will

be contested at 1 1/8 miles on Hawthorne's main track. In addition to the two

Grade 3 events, older Illinois-bred sprinters will also take to the track on

April 19. Older state-bred males will sprint in the $100,000 Robert S. Molaro Handicap while state-bred females will race in the $100,000 Third

Chance Handicap.

The following weekend, on April 26, four $100,000 stakes events for Illinois-bred runners will take place. Three-year-olds will be

featured in the Land of Lincoln Stakes for the boys and Pretty Jenny Stakes for

females. Older runners will go two turns as males face off in the Milwaukee

Avenue Handicap while female runners contest the Peach of It Handicap.

Many of the mainstays at Hawthorne return on the training

and riding end. Past meet training champions Roger Brueggemann, Mike Reavis and

Frank Kirby will have full stables of runners this spring. They will be joined

by large stables of Chris Dorris, Chris Block, Brian Williamson, John Haran and

Manny Perez.

Multiple-meet leading rider Tim Thornton is back to defend

his title and will be joined by veterans Eddie Perez, Marlon St. Julien and

Rafael Hernandez. The females made their mark last fall and a pair of female

apprentice riders, Stephanie Slinger and Heidi Rose, are back in the

Hawthorne jocks room.

Admission to Hawthorne is free every day. The spring meet, which runs from

February 21 through April 27, will feature live racing Friday through Sunday in

February and Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in March and April. Daily

post time is 1:45 p.m. (ET).

For more information please visit

HawthorneRaceCourse.com.

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