Three-month Hawthorne meet commences

Anticipation for the fall Thoroughbred meet at Hawthorne is high as racing

action kicks off Friday at 3:10 p.m. (CDT).

Full fields will be the focus this fall for new Director of Racing and Racing

Secretary Allan Plever. Plever's condition book has been well received as stall

applications exceeded the available stalls for the fall meet. Large stables from

Roger Brueggemann, Frank Kirby, Chris Dorris and Chris Block return to Hawthorne

from a summer at Arlington while Clay Brinson, Joel Berndt, Nevada Litfin and

Randy Rarick come to Hawthorne from Canterbury. A 35-year racing veteran, Plever

has worked at tracks throughout the country in numerous management positions.

Plever will also oversee a stakes schedule that provides stakes actions on

most weekends throughout the meet. The main changes come in the graded stakes

for the fall meet. Opening weekend will provide evening stakes excitement with

the 49th running of the Grade 3, $200,000 Hawthorne Derby on the turf. The Derby

will be joined by the $75,000 Indian Maid Handicap on turf for fillies and

mares.

The other major change comes with the move of the Grade 2, $350,000 Hawthorne

Gold Cup. Traditionally run opening weekend, the Gold Cup has been moved to the

Saturday following Thanksgiving on November 30.

Following the pattern set in 2012, the Illinois-bred stakes races will again

be run four weekends throughout the meet. The $75,000 Robert F. Carey Memorial

will be contested on the grass on October 12. The stakes schedule closes with

Illinois-bred juveniles going two turns in the Pat Whitworth Illinois Debutante

on December 7 and the Jim Edgar Illinois Futurity on December 14.

Hawthorne's main track is in excellent shape for the meet following a surface

refresher and the turf course has never looked better. The Illinois Thoroughbred

Horsemen's Association (ITHA) examined the main track and is very pleased with

it. With the help of the ITHA, the full backstretch is in great shape as barns

have been power washed, roads paved and trees trimmed and cleared.

For handicappers, Hawthorne welcomes the return of popular analyst Jim

Miller, a 15-year Hawthorne fixture who returns after being away for the spring

meet.

"We're very excited about this fall meet," Hawthorne President and General

Manager Tim Carey said. "We had to deal with everything under the sun last fall

from poor weather to the virus that nearly crippled us. We have been proactive

with a full cleaning of the backstretch this summer and are pleased to be

working in hand with the ITHA.

"I'm excited to have Allan Plever on board as he has brought in some new

stables and written a very popular condition book. Our night racing card on

opening weekend has been received with a great response and our stakes schedule

will provide for great racing action throughout the meet."

The Hawthorne meet runs through December 29. Live racing will be conducted

every Wednesday-Sunday, with first post Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday

at 2:10 p.m. On Fridays through November 29, first post will be 3:10. Saturday

is a special night racing card with a 5:00 p.m. post time. Beginning December 4,

first post will be 1:20 p.m. daily.

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