The $200,000 Illinois Derby will return for Hawthorne's spring/summer Thoroughbred meet, which begins Saturday, Mar. 23. The racing season will extend six weeks longer in comparison to the 2023 year as racing concludes Sunday, Oct. 23.
The Illinois Derby, scheduled for Sunday, Apr. 21, will serve as an official prep for this year's GI Preakness S. Hawthorne Race Course will pay for the Illinois Derby winner's entry fee into the Preakness if they choose to run. The Illinois Derby, previously a Grade III, was most recently contested in 2017.
“We were able to learn from last year and made some adjustments to both the racing schedule as well as the races we are offering,” Hawthorne Director of Racing Jim Miller said. “This schedule provides a good circuit for those horsemen who race in warmer destinations during the winter to be able to have a summer location that fluidly fits their schedule. We have seen a large increase in stall applications and have noticed a rise in 2-year-olds on the stall applications. We have also added four starter series this meet that will have increasing purses throughout the series. Horsemen who want to protect a good claim will now have an option to race each month for four months straight. When our meet ended last September, our crew conducted all of their turf preparation work before the winter months. This will allow for an earlier grass start the first week of May as well as an additional six weeks of turf racing through the end of the meet compared to last season.”
Click here for more on Hawthorne's stakes schedule.
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Edited Press ReleaseÂ
Jockey Jose Ortiz is named to ride eight races Saturday at Turfway Park and, after Jeff Ruby Steaks Day, fans in Kentucky will begin to see his name regularly in the program as he's slated to ride full-time this spring at Keeneland and Churchill Downs.
For many years the 2017 Eclipse Award-winning jockey has been a regular rider on the New York circuit during the spring and summer, but this will be the first time he'll remain in Kentucky. Agent Steve Rushing, who also take the calls for his Eclipse Award-winning brother Irad Ortiz, Jr., will continue to have his book in Kentucky. (In a text, Rushing said Jose Ortiz is moving permanently to Kentucky, but will ride at Saratoga in the summer before returning for Kentucky Downs, where he won the 2018 and 2019 titles.)
Among his many mounts Saturday is GIII Sam F. Davis S. runner-up Agate Road (Quality Road) in the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Listed at 4-1 on the morning line odds, Agate Road was cross-entered in Saturday's GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds but Pletcher said that he's, “leaning towards” running the bay at Turfway. Other notable mounts for Ortiz Saturday at Turfway include Wolfie's Dynaghost (Ghostzapper) in the GIII TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic and Blue Eyed George (Flameaway) in the Rushaway S.
Ortiz will make a brief return to Florida following Jeff Ruby Steaks Day, but will be back to Kentucky when Keeneland's Spring Meet begins Friday, Apr. 5.
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