Hawthorne

After the first two weeks of the Hawthorne fall meet Shane Laviolette was atop the rider standings with 13 wins, three ahead of Randall Meier. Meier scored a stakes double last Saturday riding the winners of the $75,000 Lightning Jet and the $75,000 Powerless at the Cicero, Ill., track.

Hawthorne Hall of Fame jockey Ray Sibille, tied for fourth in the standings through Sunday, plans to shift his tack to the Fair Grounds when it opens on Thanksgiving Day next week.

Several trainers have started the meet strongly. After two weeks of action the top barn was Thomas Tomillio's, which sent out eight winners from its first 29 starters. Ron Goodridge and Chris Block have five winners each. Block's five winners came from only nine starters.

Unseasonably warm weather throughout the Midwest will continue for a few more days, which will allow Hawthorne to use its turf course for another weekend. Cooler temperatures are expected to hit the Chicago area early next week.