Hawthorne Race Course in the Chicago-area suburb of Stickney, Illinois will close for four months in spring 2020 while it builds facilities for casino gambling and sports betting as allowed under the state’s new expanded gambling law, said Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association Executive Director David McCaffrey.
“This is going to be a hardship for thoroughbred horsemen. Our members will have to do some creative planning. But it’s a short-term pain, long-term gain situation, and Hawthorne has pledged to work with us while we get through it,” he said.
In the past few years, Hawthorne offered live racing from late winter until early May and October through December, while Arlington International Racecourse filled in the middle six months of the year. Now the 2020 schedule will have a gap between January 4 at Hawthorne and April 27, Arlington’s opening day.
McCaffrey said to complete the casino and sportsbooks as soon as possible, construction work will occur at Hawthorne during the day and harness racing will be offered at night during the first half of 2020. As soon as purse accounts start to grow from gaming operations, horsemen could begin to benefit by the time Hawthorne’s fall meeting opens, with additional more purse increases in 2021.
The new state law allows casino wagering and sports betting at the state’s three existing horseracing tracks.
