Dates approved for Hawthorne, Fairmount

The Illinois Racing Board on Thursday approved 63 live racing dates in 2026 at Hawthorne Race Course in the Chicago area and 57 days of live racing at Fairmount Park in Collinsville.

The dates for the tracks largely overlap, but Hawthorne and Fairmount will run on different days of the week for most of their meets. Hawthorne will begin its meet on March 29 and run through Nov. 1 with live racing on Thursdays and Sundays, while Fairmount will begin its meet on April 14, running on Tuesdays and Saturdays through Oct. 27.

According to reports, the two tracks initially presented conflicting schedules at the board meeting, but they worked out a compromise to avoid racing on the same days after a short recess. During the meeting, Hawthorne President Tom Carey told the board that the track is hoping to sign a financing agreement by the end of the year that would allow the track to finish construction on a casino.

Hawthorne officials have said for years that they are pursuing a financing deal without reaching an agreement. The track was awarded a casino license in 2019. This year, the track’s racing product has suffered from short fields and depressed handle.

“After six years of promises and delays, we certainly hope that Hawthorne will finally break ground on their casino to support our sport and industry,” said Chris Block, president of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, in a statement.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.