Hawthorne Racetrack

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Hawthorne Racetrack was located in Cicero, Illinois. The track featured Thoroughbred racing during the spring and fall seasons, while harness racing was conducted during the summer months.

Hawthorne Racetrack was situated on approximately 119 acres between Laramie and Cicero Avenues at 35th Street. It was considered one of Illinois' most prominent horse racing venues. Among the major stakes events held at the track were the Illinois Derby, the Governor's Lady Handicap, and the Sixty Sails Handicap.

Hawthorne Racetrack Facts

Main Track	:	One Mile
Turf Course	:	148 feet
Length of Stretch	:	1,320 feet
Width of Stretch	:	75 feet
Barns	:	17
Stalls	:	2,100
Track Capacity	:	35,000

Major Milestones of Hawthorne Racetrack

1890 - Edward Corrigan purchased the land and began construction on the race track.

1891 - An estimated 6,000 people attended Hawthorne Racetrack's opening day on May 20. The centerpiece race of the day was the Chicago Derby, a 1/4-mile race won by Brookwood, owned by Edward Corrigan.

1902 - The Hawthorne race course grandstand burned to the ground on May 30th and the remainder of the Spring meet was transferred to nearby Harlem race course. On August 18, however, racing returned to Hawthorne Racetrack for the start of a 12-day late summer session.

1905 - Racing was banned in Chicago.

1909 - Edward Corrigan sold Hawthorne Racetrack to Thomas Carey.

1922 - Racing returned to Chicago on September 30 with a 13-day meeting.

1931 - An electric timer was used at Hawthorne Racetrack, thus becoming the first major course in the United States to use one.

1934 - A new paddock was built. It was located between the grandstand and the clubhouse.

1937 - A record $7,557,896 was handled during the 24-day meeting, the largest amount ever handled (over a similar period) by a Chicago course.

1940 - The new Bahr starting gate made its debut at Hawthorne Racetrack.

1943 - South suburban Lincoln Fields moved its meet to Hawthorne Racetrack due to wartime racing restrictions. Hawthorne played host to Lincoln Field's spring dates from 1943 until 1947.

On May 31, Hawthorne registered its first $1 million handle day.

1946 - On May 30, Hawthorne registered the largest crowd ever to pass through the gates. A total of 39,033 people bet a then-record $1,730,117 on the Memorial Day card during the Lincoln Fields meeting.

Daily average handle surpassed the $1 million mark during the Lincoln Fields at Hawthorne spring meeting when a daily average 14,375 fans bet an average of $1,014,435.

1963 - Hawthorne Racetrack enjoyed its first $2 million handle day on Gold Cup Day with $2,037,297 passing through the mutuel windows.

1970 - Harness racing was held for the first time.

1978 - On November 19 another fire completely destroyed the grandstand.

1980 - On September 29, the Hawthorne Racetrack had its official grand re-opening.

1987 - Off-course wagering debuted in Illinois.

1992 - Hawthorne's daily average handle exceeded $2 million.

1998 - The racing schedule was reduced to five days per week.

1999 – The final running of the Hawthorne Juvenile Stakes was held before the race was replaced by the Jim Edgar Illinois Futurity.

/p>2002 – After the closure of Sportsman's Park racing operations, Hawthorne became one of the main venues for Thoroughbred and harness racing in the Chicago area.

2005 – Tim Carey was appointed President and General Manager, continuing the Carey family's long tradition of managing the racetrack.

2009 – Hawthorne was ranked among the top Thoroughbred racetracks in North America by the Horseplayers Association of North America track ratings.

2013 – The long-running Robert F. Carey Memorial Handicap was discontinued after many years as one of the track's featured stakes races.

2019 – Hawthorne entered into a partnership with PointsBet to develop sports betting tied to the racetrack and its off-track betting network.

2020 – The Illinois Gaming Board approved plans for a large racino development at Hawthorne, combining casino gaming with the historic racetrack.

2021 – Retail sportsbooks connected to Hawthorne opened at several Club Hawthorne off-track betting locations across Illinois.

2026 – The racetrack faced significant financial challenges, leading to the revocation of its racing license by the Illinois Racing Board while the company pursued financial restructuring.

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