Hawthorne Race Course has resurrected the Illinois Derby in hopes it will be a step toward reviving interest in Illinois racing.
Racing in the state has been hampered in recent years after the closure of Arlington Park, but Hawthorne director of racing Jim Miller believes they have reached a point of stability where it made sense to bring the Illinois Derby back.
“It used to be that marquee race in the spring for us,” Miller said. “It’s nice to have it back on the schedule.”
The $200,000, 1/8-mile Illinois Derby will be held April 21, four weeks before Pimlico Race Course hosts the Preakness Stakes (G1), the second leg of the Triple Crown.
“With a $200,000 purse,” Miller said, “it provides enough appeal to horsemen that may not have been able to qualify for the Derby but want to run in the Preakness to have a spot that fits strategically on the calendar.”
Among the most remembered Illinois Derby winners is War Emblem. He won the 2002 Illinois Derby (G2) at Sportsman’s Park before capturing the Kentucky Derby and Preakness the following month. The win sparked a streak that saw Illinois Derby winners compete in the Kentucky Derby in 11 consecutive runnings from 2002-12.
When the Road to the Kentucky Derby point system was introduced before the 2013 Derby, the Illinois Derby was left off the schedule. Shifted to mid-April, the Illinois Derby winner participated in three editions of the Preakness before its discontinuation after the 2017 race.
The choice to shelve the Illinois Derby was made to maintain everyday purses for a struggling Illinois racing industry.
“We wanted to make sure we had enough money for overnights,” Miller said, “for those horsemen that were racing day in and day out.”
Miller called 2023 a “low point” for horse numbers. The largest number of horses stabled at Hawthorne was around 800 for a barn area that can house over a thousand.
Hawthorne also had to juggle Standardbreds after Maywood Park and Balmoral Park closures in 2015. Since Arlington closed, the state fairgrounds in Springfield has allowed Standardbred racing to increase race dates while freeing Hawthorne to extend its Thoroughbred schedule.
Hawthorne’s 2024 Thoroughbred meet runs from March 23 to Oct. 13. Hawthorne’s maiden and allowance races in 2024 will see purses around $32,000-$35,000, which competes with Horseshoe Indianapolis but is still well behind nearby Kentucky tracks that host those races for over $100,000.
Yet Miller says the little things that come with an extended meet, like fully utilizing their turf course all summer, have sparked interest among horsemen. Miller expects to receive over 1,300 stall applications in 2024.
In addition to the Illinois Derby, the Hawthorne Derby will be run on turf in the fall. Other historic races, like the Hawthorne Gold Cup and National Jockey Club Handicap, could also return.
“We’ve been able to stabilize that purse account, we’re able to extend the racing calendar, handle increased last year. We can start to add some of these races back.”
