Call for rebirth of Chicagoland racing

by Neil Milbert

The executive director of the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association (IHHA) has called on the racing community to bring Chicagoland racing “back to life.”

Speaking at the Aug. 19 meeting of the Illinois Racing Board, Tony Somone said: “For the first time in forever, the third largest metropolitan economy in the U.S. is without horse racing. While this may not be the fault of everyone in this room, it’s certainly our responsibility to bring it back.”

The 14 harness programs scheduled for January and February were canceled because of Hawthorne Race Course’s financial turmoil and the track’s Nov. 6-Dec. 27 Suburban Downs harness meeting will not be held as a consequence of the bankrupt track’s $90 million July sale to the Delaware corporation Allimac 23 that intends to redevelop the 119-acre property for real estate purposes.

The thoroughbred meeting at what was the only surviving Chicago racetrack began three weeks late in April and ended on July 19, four months ahead of schedule.

Allimac 23 is scheduled to close on Sept. 1.

“For harness horsemen, we have an answer to getting us back to racing on a full-time basis with pari-mutuel racing,” Somone said. “We are all aware of that open license for one of seven townships in the south suburbs. We don’t need any legislative help for that; it is in the current law. But for the license for the south suburbs to begin the certification process in an orderly fashion it is really only contingent on the people in this room.

“I have been in contact with three different groups, and I believe there may be more, that have told me they are ready to apply for racing dates in 2027. However, their concern is that Hawthorne still has control of the 35-mile boundary [prohibiting establishment of another racetrack without Hawthorne’s permission].

“We need to follow the framework of the law but these are unprecedented times and the laws are vague and open to wide interpretation in addressing how to handle a situation when no racetracks are able to operate. Add in the bankruptcy proceedings and things really get complicated.”

Judge Timothy Barnes of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Northern Illinois has allowed the backstretch to remain open until Aug. 31 to accommodate thoroughbreds training at the track and enable stable area workers and their children to remain residents.

According to the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (ITHA), at the time of the Racing Board meeting and Bankruptcy Court hearing on the same day, there were 113 horses, 155 adults, and 53 children on the backstretch. ITHA attorney Kevin Morse said departure plans had been arranged for all but 29 people and 22 were scheduled to leave with horses later in the week.

At the Bankruptcy Court hearing Hawthorne sought to move the eviction date of Aug. 31 that was specified in the sale order to Aug. 28 and call on the United States Marshall’s Service to throw out those who refused to leave.

Judge Barnes refused the request, saying he would only authorize forcible eviction if the people didn’t leave on Aug. 31.

Dave McCaffrey, a harness driver, trainer, and president of the IHHA before becoming the ITHA’s executive director, told The Blood Horse’s Bob Kieckhefer, “Whatever good will they [Hawthorne president Tim Carey and his management team] have earned over five or 10 years, it’s quickly evaporated with their heartless behavior in the past few months.”

The IHHA’s Somone agreed, “We all trusted them and believed in them and they disappointed us greatly. With well over $100 million in debt, Hawthorne [in February] filed for bankruptcy regulation to buy time to find a racing partner and failed to do so. Hawthorne was unable to fill their obligation to the harness horsemen, to the thoroughbred horsemen, to the Illinois Racing Board, and to the state.

“We need to move forward. I beg of you — this Racing Board and staff and anyone else who cares about our future — understand that the sooner Hawthorne steps aside, or is authorized to step aside, the sooner we can begin to plan for our future. When all is said and done you [Racing Board members and staff] have every right to make difficult decisions based on what is in the best interest of racing.”