Hawthorne Takes First Steps to Convert Racing Surface, But Horsemen Want Guarantees Meet Will Begin on Time

[Wandering Eyes]

Though Hawthorne maintenance crews took the first step Monday toward converting the racing surface so that it is suitable for Thoroughbred racing, Illinois horsemen remain skeptical that racing will proceed when the Thoroughbred meet is scheduled to open Mar. 29.

Hawthorne officials had testified at a meeting of the Illinois Racing Board that work would begin Monday to change over the racetrack from a Standardbred surface to one that is conducive to Thoroughbred racing. But Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (ITHA) Executive Director Dave McCaffrey noted that the only work that was done Monday was to remove the pylons that are used for harness racing and to replace them with an inner rail.

“They didn't actually start turning the track over,” McCaffrey said. “In typical Hawthorne fashion, they started working on the rail. That part of the transition doesn't require them to rent any equipment. They do that in-house. They did do it. But whether they'll actually rent the equipment to blade the track and change it from harness to Thoroughbred remains to be seen.”

Still skeptical about Hawthorne's future, the ITHA sent an email to its members Monday morning with the headline: “Past Time for Tim Carey to Address ITHA Members About Hawthorne's Financial Condition and Plans; Commit to Racing at Hawthorne at Your Own Risk.”

“Right now, we are telling people to come to Hawthorne at their own risk,” McCaffrey said. “That is the gist of the email. It was a pretty strongly worded email, telling our membership how we interpreted today's events so far. The summary of it is, despite the fact they are out there working on the track, we are dubious that the meet is going to start on time.”

The ITHA wants to hear from Hawthorne President and General Manager Tim Carey, who did not show up at a recent meeting of the Illinois Racing Board to discuss the Hawthorne situation. During the harness meet, the IRB suspended Hawthorne's license to operate due to “financial integrity issues.” Several checks to harness horsemen reportedly bounced. That has left the Thoroughbred meet in limbo.

Hawthorne has struggled financially due to its inability to open a casino, even though casino gaming was approved at the track in 2019. In the email, the ITHA expressed its frustrations with Carey and how he has shared little, if anything, that would shed light on the current situation.

“It's way past time for Tim Carey to directly address ITHA members about Hawthorne's financial condition and plans,” the email read. “The ITHA requests that he schedule a time to speak with our membership as soon as possible. Trackman Greg Cardenas and his crew have started conversion of the main track back to our training and racing surface for the upcoming 2026 meet. This process usually takes a week, depending on weather. Warmer than normal temperatures are expected, which will help that process. But Hawthorne has yet to provide the ITHA with any assurance that it has the financial means to begin the meet on Sunday, Mar. 29, as scheduled, and sustain the meet through its scheduled completion on Sunday, Nov. 1.

The email continued: “ITHA leaders want to be clear to our members: If you intend to stable and race at Hawthorne for the 2026 meet, once the track is ready for training, come at your own risk and with the knowledge that Hawthorne may be unable to start the meet and sustain it through its entirety. We await communication from Hawthorne that it will be able to prove it can conduct a 2026 meet and meet its financial obligations. Until we have that information in our possession, we will continue to advise our members to proceed with caution.”

“They still claim that they are talking to people [who may partner on casino project],” McCaffrey said.  “Another takeaway from our email is that we want Tim Carey to address us. He was a no-show at the racing board meeting, despite the fact he was a named witness on the agenda. Since then, he's been completely silent over the last two weeks. We get tidbits here and there from [Assistant General Manager] John Walsh and [Director of Racing] Jim Miller, but they don't seem to know much. Everything is very much murky. Everything is in a fog at the moment. That's extremely frustrating.”

When asked to assess the chances of Hawthorne opening Mar. 29, McCaffrey labeled it a “50-50” proposition.

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