By Neil Milbert
Photo: Arlington racecourse general manager Tony Petrillo (l), Hawthorne park president Tim Carey (center) and Arlington park’s owner Dick Duchossois present their case to the Illinois Gaming Board (by Amanda Vinicky)

CHICAGO, IL – The Illinois Racing Board held a requiem for the bankrupt sister harness tracks, Balmoral Park and Maywood Park, when it awarded 2016 dates Tuesday.

No dates were awarded to either Maywood, which inaugurated pari-mutuel harness racing in the state in 1946, or Balmoral, which has been holding standardbred meetings since 1968 after coming into the racing world in 1926 as a thoroughbred track named Lincoln Fields.

Hawthorne Race Course will be on the harness racing map for the first time since 2008, conducting a January 6th through February 6th winter meeting (24 programs) with racing 5 days per week, Wednesday through Sunday. A five night per week, Wednesday through Sunday summer meeting (92 programs) will run from May 6th through September 25th.