Quote from
MaywoodAl on January 22, 2026, 8:08 PM
Thursday, January 22 Update
Hawthorne Racecourse has again requested approval from the Illinois Racing Board to vacate the Jan. 24โ25 race dates, as its banking issues remain unresolved.
This marks yet another weekend where racing cannot proceed because horsemen cannot be paid. We have formally asked the Illinois Racing Board to begin discussing alternative options, as repeating this same outcome week after week is not workable for horsemen or the industry.
Our position remains unchanged: racing should not resume until horsemen have reliable access to their earned funds. We will provide further updates as soon as they are available.
ย
Sincerely,
Jeff Davis
President
Illinois Harness Horsemen's Association
Thursday, January 22 Update
Hawthorne Racecourse has again requested approval from the Illinois Racing Board to vacate the Jan. 24โ25 race dates, as its banking issues remain unresolved.
This marks yet another weekend where racing cannot proceed because horsemen cannot be paid. We have formally asked the Illinois Racing Board to begin discussing alternative options, as repeating this same outcome week after week is not workable for horsemen or the industry.
Our position remains unchanged: racing should not resume until horsemen have reliable access to their earned funds. We will provide further updates as soon as they are available.
ย
Sincerely,
Jeff Davis
President
Illinois Harness Horsemen's Association