HORSEPLOP.COM
General Category => Harness Racing => Topic started by: Mr Wonderful on August 07, 2023, 08:18:30 PM
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After racing for minimal purse opportunities as Springfield and DuQuoin in June and July, horsemen were
looking forward to the State Fair meet starting later this week. However, the advertised $5,000 purses for
the IDOA 2 and 3 year olds races were chopped significantly. Those $5,000 purses were reduced for the most
part to $2,500 and even $1,666. There are 557 registered 2 year olds in Illinois this year and it is mid-August and almost every one of them is bleeding $$. While those 2 year olds will be racing for peanuts, there are a pair of overnight races that will go for $4,000 each. That is absolutely obscene.
In less than a month Illinois' two major yearling sales, the Land of Lincoln and the Illini Classic will be conducted and it's almost certain they will be impacted negatively. There are 552 Illinois Bred yearlings on the ground this year and their overall worth has plummeted immensely. Rumor has it that the 2024 racing schedule at Hawthorne will see the thoroughbreds racing from March through December. And that is why is looks like Illinois Harness Racing is finshed.
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Yeah it's dead
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what role does the IHHA play in representing the Illinois harness horsemen?? does Tony Somone do anything to earn his salary which the horsemen pay him? what a joke...
they put some statement on their IHHA website that the 2024 dates hawthorne applied for are "subject to change"...uh huh..more bullshit coming out of everyone involved in illinois harness....
how's the hawthorne casino project progressing by the way?? ngc3 ngc3 ngc3 ngc3 ngc3 ngc3
how does the IRB ( ILLINOIS RACING BOARD) let all this happen?????
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A real shame. but inevitably only the beginning of the domino effect.
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Didn't someone say Balmoral was gonna re open ..I guess they were being sarcastic ?
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Didn't someone say Balmoral was gonna re open ..I guess they were being sarcastic ?
YES, they did say that, and it was all in the works. Last I heard its still a truck lot, and no heavy equipment moving in to start construction. This is as big a dream as Hambletonian moving back to DuQuoin. Two things that aint ever going to happen.
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Even if Balmoral was in play they can't have par mutual racing for a couple years. The dates for 2024 will be doled out next month and Hawthorne is the only option. IHHA has always been a joke with no power against owners and worthless lobbyist in Springfield. They use to take out nearly as much as recapture to operate out of the purse back in the day before the switch to Hawthorne and the measly purses. Tony S ngc3