Hawthorne bankruptcy deepens as Illinois racing future stays uncertain

Hawthorne Race Course moved toward closure after a bankruptcy sale was approved, capping months of uncertainty for Illinois’ last operating horse racing track. The case, filed Feb. 27 in the Northern District of Illinois as Chapter 11 No. 26-03505 before Judge Timothy A. Barnes, has kept horsemen, backstretch workers and trainers guessing about where the next stalls, starts and paychecks would come from.

The stakes run deeper than one suburban oval. Hawthorne opened on May 20, 1891, and track materials describe it as the oldest sporting venue in Illinois and the oldest continually run family-owned racetrack in North America. That history made every delay in the bankruptcy case feel larger, especially for the horsemen who depend on the track’s daily rhythm for stabling, training and purse money.

The first major bankruptcy break came on March 10, when Hawthorne cleared another hurdle in an agreement that included payment of nearly $1.4 million to Thoroughbred horsemen. Eight days later, Hawthorne representatives told the Illinois Racing Board that their priority was making sure horsemen were paid while they searched for a buyer who would keep racing alive and build a casino at the racetrack. By July 17, the board had hoped to consider a new racing operator, but those questions had been left to court, extending the wait for everyone tied to the meet.

That delay had immediate effects on the racing calendar. A July report said Hawthorne cut the remainder of its Thoroughbred season from three days a week to two after horsemen pressed for action on the unbuilt racino, shrinking race-date opportunities at the very moment participants were trying to plan for the next month. On July 15, Hawthorne notified the state it could have to lay off up to 290 workers if racing did not continue, a warning that put a number on the human cost of the uncertainty.

The endgame tightened in late July. Hawthorne’s future awaited approval of the pending bankruptcy sale on July 20, and another report said an Aug. 31 closing hinged on relocating horses and backstretch workers. Thoroughbred Daily News said the backstretch faced an Aug. 31 clear-out date. By July 25, the sale had been approved and Hawthorne was set to close, ending an era in the Chicago area and leaving Illinois racing to absorb the loss of its central track, its stalls and much of the ecosystem built around them.