The Illinois Racing Board has suspended the license of Suburban Downs, operator of harness racing at Hawthorne Race Course, casting doubt on the fate of the Thoroughbred meeting slated to start March 29.
The IRB cited Suburban Downs’ “failure to provide documentation demonstrating its financial integrity.”
The board suspended operations at the suburban Chicago track at the start of the year for failure to submit required surety bonds. Harness horsemen also had complained they had been unable to access purse earnings from the track, owned for generations by the Carey family.
Tim Carey, current president and general manager of Hawthorne, was scheduled to address the Jan. 28 Racing Board meeting, but Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association President Chris Block said his organization was “extremely disappointed” to hear Carey did not plan to attend.
