Illinois Racing Board Suspends Harness Racing at Hawthorne

The Illinois Racing Board finally pulled the plug on harness racing at Hawthorne Race Course this week, suspending the track’s operating license indefinitely amid mounting financial red flags that had become impossible to ignore.

In a letter dated Jan. 26, IRB Executive Director Domenic DiCera informed Suburban Downs, Inc., the licensed harness racing operator at Hawthorne, that its authorization had been suspended effective immediately. The decision came after the track failed to provide documentation proving its financial integrity or its ability to meet the minimum standards required under the Illinois Horse Racing Act.

Bounced Checks Push Illinois Regulators to Act

Harness racing at Hawthorne had already ground to a halt before the formal suspension. Multiple race dates were canceled throughout January, and the first eight programs of the 2026 meet were never run. What had been whispers of trouble turned into something far louder when horsemen began reporting bounced checks.

According to the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association (IHHA), checks issued by Hawthorne were returned unpaid on more than one occasion, leaving trainers, drivers, and owners without access to money they had already earned.

“For the second time in a matter of weeks, we’ve been made aware that checks issued by Hawthorne Race Course have been returned unpaid by banks,” IHHA President Jeff Davis said earlier this month. “Horsemen’s livelihoods depend on this money, and we are well beyond the point where we can simply take Hawthorne’s word.”

DiCera confirmed those concerns in his letter to Suburban Downs CEO Tim Carey, noting that the operator was in arrears on payments owed to the IHHA dating back to August 2025. Purse checks to horsemen were also returned unpaid due to what the track described as ongoing banking issues.

IHHA Executive Director Tony Somone later told regulators that roughly $580,000 in checks to 66 individuals had bounced, a figure that could still grow. Some of that money includes legislated purse funds that Hawthorne merely holds in custody, which is money that, by law, belongs to the horsemen.

Horsemen Left Waiting as Race Dates Disappear

What makes the situation even more precarious is Hawthorne’s unique position in Illinois racing. It is the only operational racetrack in the Chicago area and, until now, has effectively controlled whether another harness track could open nearby. That exclusivity was designed to stabilize the industry, but critics argue it has instead left it exposed when Hawthorne stumbles.

For horsemen, the fallout has been immediate and personal. Lost race dates mean lost opportunities, while frozen purse accounts mean months of work without pay, all as everyday expenses continue to pile up.

Here’s where things currently stand:

• Harness racing license suspended indefinitely until Suburban Downs proves financial integrity
• Roughly $580,000 in bounced checks reported by the IHHA, with potential for more
• At least 10 of 14 scheduled race days lost during the 2026 Standardbred meet
• 34 total harness programs were awarded to Hawthorne for 2026, many now in jeopardy
• Lawmakers weighing SB 1473, which would remove Hawthorne’s veto over another nearby harness track and racino
• Hawthorne’s Thoroughbred meet still scheduled for late March, though horsemen want firm guarantees it won’t be disrupted
  

Legislative Pressure Mounts as Hawthorne’s Future Remains Unclear

In light of the missed pay and canceled race dates, the IHHA has formally urged the Illinois Racing Board to explore alternative options. That includes supporting legislative efforts to open the door to competition rather than relying solely on a single struggling operator.

The association has publicly backed SB 1473, introduced by Sen. Patrick Joyce, which would lift restrictions on building another harness racetrack and racino in southern Cook County. The bill advanced through multiple committee discussions in late 2025 and currently sits with the Senate Assignments Committee.

Hawthorne’s broader financial troubles only deepen the uncertainty. The track has spent years attempting to secure financing for a casino approved by Illinois lawmakers in 2019, a project widely viewed as essential to the long-term survival of racing in the Chicago area.

Despite the racing suspension, Hawthorne remains part of Illinois’ sports betting landscape. Fanatics Sportsbook confirmed it will continue operating its retail sportsbook at the track, though it has shifted its mobile betting license to PENN Entertainment’s Argosy Casino Alton. Customers are not expected to see any disruption to Fanatics’ online platform.

For now, the Illinois Racing Board says the door remains open. If Suburban Downs can cure its violations and prove it meets the state’s financial standards, harness racing could return. But with trust eroded and patience wearing thin, the future of racing at Hawthorne, once a cornerstone of Illinois racing, has rarely ever felt more uncertain.

Alex Warren

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