Hawthorne: Iosilver brings big Beyer

Having opened the fall meet last weekend with its showcase event, the Hawthorne Gold Cup, Hawthorne's schedule of major races quickly draws thin.

In fact, from last weekend until Nov. 12, Hawthorne will host just one program on which a stakes race will be carded. That will be Oct. 15, when the Hawthorne Derby and Hawthorne Oaks interrupt an otherwise lengthy stakes drought.

In the meantime, Hawthorne will be carding some solid racing. A 10-race Saturday card at the Stickney, Ill., track illustrates as much: three allowances (races 4, 7, 9), with purses totaling $100,000, are the top races on a program that begins at 1:10 p.m. Central.

The fourth race, worth $36,000, seems to have drawn the most accomplished group. Iosilver, whose last race resulted in a four-length triumph and 102 Beyer Speed Figure, looks like the one to beat in a field of six.

The seventh, a $34,000 turf route, drew a full field in which the Bobby Frankel-trained castoff Royal Gem seems to rate a big chance.

The $30,000 ninth race, an entry-level allowance, appears to be exceptionally well matched battle among 12 3-year-olds and up.