Hawthorne’s fall meet fast out of the gate
By Mike Porcaro
Midwest Thoroughbred
Hawthorne Race Course President and General Manager Tim Carey and Jim Miller, Assistant General Manager and handicapper extraordinaire, probably couldn’t have imagined how great the Chicago weather would be the first 2 weeks of October.
Near-summer conditions since the meet began have combined with increased purses, full fields, a fair-playing dirt track, a superb turf course and outstanding grass racing to boot. These conditions have helped the meet to get off to a very fast start with fans enjoying the amenities and promotions the track offers and with horsemen eager to enter.
With hardly a cloud in the sky, nor a drop of rain in sight through the week of Oct. 10, the weather has been an added bonus. That said, it’s been Hawthorne's total program that has ruled the day from the very beginning.
The meet got off to a fast start opening weekend with a bevy of stakes races, including the Indian Maid, The Robert F. Carey and the Hawthorne Gold Cup (G-II, $500,0000), one of Hawthorne’s signature events. Owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey had a great day with a win in the 75th running of the Gold Cup. The race, contested at 1 ¼ miles, was won by the Ramsey’s colt, Headache, who is likely headed to the 2011 Breeders’ Cup.
The 47th running of the Grade III TVG Hawthorne Derby on Oct. 15 brought together some of the best 3-year-old turf runners in the country. Contested at a mile and an eighth over a firm turf course, the final Illinois graded stakes race of 2011 boasted a strong field of ten, headed by the talented Willcox Inn. He didn’t disappoint as the Michael Stidham charge with Robbie Albarado aboard won by a comfortable four and a half lengths. We’re probably going to see Willcox Inn in Louisville Breeders’ Cup weekend.
Off to a quick start is jockey Florent Geroux, who has energized all who follow him by taking a commanding lead in the jockey standings through Oct. 19 with 21 wins (30.4%) in 69 starts (43.4% in the money). Veteran Eddie Perez continues to show his Hawthorne mettle with 12 wins (21.4%) in 56 races. He’s in the money more than 46% of the time and in second place eight wins behind “Frenchy” in the standings.
Up and comer Constantine Roman is solid at 46.2% ITM with 9 wins in 65 starts. Veteran Tim Thornton is tied with Roman with 9 wins in 69 trips. Josbin (JZ) Santana, who hit the board often enough at the Arlington Park summer to be part of the meet leaders, has won more than $163,000 to be among the earnings leaders. Julio Felix, who scored well over the summer, is 10% in wins and poised to challenge for the title.
Trainer Roger Brueggemann continues his winning ways at Hawthorne with 11 wins in 35 starts (31.4%) earning more than $180,000. He’s just behind Mike Stidham in purse money. Stidham has earned $202,520 so far. While he’s started just 24 times, Joel Berndt, another frequent visitor to the Winner’s Circle at Hawthorne, is a whopping 58.3% in the money, including 6 wins.
Don’t count out title contenders Hugh Robertson (57.1% ITM) and Mike Reavis, 62.5% in the money in 16 starts, when it all ends on Dec. 31. Moises Yanez, another staple here, has 5 wins in 27 starts, an 18.5% win clip.
The first few weeks of the Hawthorne Race Course fall meet have formed the base for what promises to be a win-win-win proposition for all involved, the betting public, the horsemen and the racetrack.
Jim Miller told Midwest Thoroughbred, "We are very happy with the start of the meet! What we have easily shown, is that through the support of our horsemen, we can easily fill races five days a week with good fields. For handle, the only comparison is based on total handle and we are up both overall and onsite."
The yeomen’s work that track management has put forth in their promotional efforts, as well as the condition book that Racing Secretary Gary Duch has written for horsemen, add up to one thing, a successful meet for all involved.