Curt Grummel News Today

Ominous skies loomed over Hawthorne Race Course much of the day on Saturday (Oct. 14) evening but the rains cleared as the track was listed as good for Night of Champions. Twelve stakes finals were contested as the best in the state of Illinois lined up with nearly $1.2 million in purses on the line.

The rain certainly didn’t dampen the spirits of any of the Illinois Conceived and Foaled harness racing pacers and trotters who vied in 12 events totaling $1,175,000 on Saturday night, Oct. 14, known as “The Night of Champions.” Starter Adam Brownly got each race off to a near perfect start over a track surface listed as

Harness racing Secretary Robin Schadt has put together one of the best programs Hawthorne Racecourse has seen in recent years. The reason, says the seasoned race tracker, who divides her duties and time between Hawthorne and Cal-Expo, is simple. “Due to the legislative casino approval, this is the first time in a very long time

The top Illinois-bred horses will be competing for more than $1 million in purses on Saturday, Oct. 14 as 12 stakes events will be contested during Night of Champions at Hawthorne.

Super Bowl Champion linebacker Devin White of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was onsite at Hawthorne Race Course on Sunday evening (June 27) to watch the debut races of a pair of trotters he owns in partnership. Both were competing in leg-one stakes action at Hawthorne over a fast track. In Race 2 on Sunday, 2-year-old colt First And Goal debuted in leg one of The Kadabra for Illinois-bred trotters. Owned in partnership by Devin White and Adam Hawthorne, First And Goal was guided to the early lead by...