Chicago’s Hawthorne Race Course the latest American track set to close

Hawthorne Race Course, one of the most historic racetracks in the United States, has been sold to a “non-racing buyer”, raising further uncertainty over the future of horse racing in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Coming only weeks after the final meeting at Aqueduct in New York and five years after Chicago-based Arlington Park shut its doors, Hawthorne, which hosts both thoroughbred and standardbred racing, is likely to go the same way, after confirmation on Tuesday that the 108-acre property in Stickney, Illinois, had been sold.

“Attention horsemen: Hawthorne Race Course has been sold to a non-racing entity,” said a message from the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association.

“At this time, all training and racing will continue as scheduled until further notice.”

While the transaction remains subject to final approval by the US Bankruptcy Court, the announcement follows Hawthorne’s disclosure last month that it had received a $90 million bid.

While the prospective purchaser has not been identified, according to reporting in the Paulick Report, court documents indicate that the new owner has no plans to continue racetrack operations or pursue the venue’s long-delayed “racino” project.

The bidding deadline had been previously extended until July 10 ahead of a sale hearing scheduled for July 20.

Founded in 1891, Hawthorne is the oldest continuously family-owned racetrack in North America and has been a cornerstone of Chicago racing for more than 130 years.

However, there have been a litany of financial stresses, as well as delays in securing a casino licence. Its racing licences were also suspended briefly earlier this year after harness racing purses went unpaid.

While the ITHA has confirmed that training and racing will continue for now, approval of the sale later this month could significantly reshape Illinois racing.

With Arlington Park having closed in 2021, the loss of Hawthorne as a racing venue would cast considerable doubt on the future of live horse racing in America’s third-largest city.

According to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the United States now has about 75 active thoroughbred racetracks.

By comparison, during horse racing’s boom in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, more than 300 racetracks across America staged thoroughbred meetings. 

The announcement comes on the same day that Avondale in New Zealand hosts its final raceday, ending 136 years of thoroughbred horse racing at the Auckland venue.