Purses at Hawthorne Race Course and FanDuel will see an 18 percent jump from June 15 to July 15 thanks to two campaigns led by the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association.
The Thoroughbred Daily News reported that a $5.1 million transfer from the state's Horse Racing Fund is helping to fund the purse bump. That money comes from a 1.5 percent tax on bets placed on Illinois racing and the fund typically has a surplus of around $10 million. A bill passed by the Illinois legislature in its final session permitted the transfer to help fund Thoroughbred and harness racing at Hawthorne, as well as Thoroughbred racing at FanDuel.
Additionally, the ITHA said in a statement on its website that after the closure of Arlington Park in September 2021, Churchill Downs Inc. “attempted to keep hundreds of thousands of dollars from the horsemen's purse account. Arlington eventually folded in its attempt to keep the money after ITHA pursued litigation against Arlington, compelling the track to release the money. ITHA is now directing the remaining settlement funds to Hawthorne purses, which will account for the purse increase from June 15 to July 15.”
ITHA said the additional funds serve only as a temporary relief as horsemen there continue to struggle to make ends meet.
Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News
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