Hawthorne Gold Cup to follow Breeders' Cup this year

In a noteworthy break from recent tradition, the Hawthorne Gold Cup will be run several weeks after the Breeders’ Cup instead of several weeks before, it was revealed Thursday at a meeting of the Illinois Racing Board at Arlington Park in suburban Chicago.

The racing board approved the fall stakes schedule for Hawthorne, where officials have moved their signature race to Nov. 30, four weeks after the Breeders’ Cup will be held at Santa Anita. The Grade 2 Hawthorne Gold Cup had been run four weeks prior to the Breeders’ Cup in recent seasons.

The purse for the 1 1/4-mile Hawthorne Gold Cup this year will be $350,000, down $150,000 from last year, when Pool Play won. First run in 1928, the Gold Cup had its purse peak in 2003-05 when worth $750,000.

The Gold Cup will be the 10th of 12 stakes at the Hawthorne fall meet. The only other graded race on the schedule is the Grade 3, $200,000 Hawthorne Derby on Oct. 5, the opening Saturday of the meet.