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Old 11-21-2017, 06:40 PM   #16
illinoisbred
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Friends in my small group refer to Hawthorne as Fairmount Park North. Personally, I have not been to Hawthorne for 5 or 6 years but it is worth a visit. You'll pretty much have the place to yourself unless you attend on a Saturday.
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Old 11-21-2017, 07:17 PM   #17
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I went to Hawthorne way back in the late 1980's. It was a perfectly functional track, but nothing more.
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Old 11-21-2017, 07:20 PM   #18
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The best advice that I can give you is...don't indulge in the 3-card Monte game that a tall, skinny black guy deals in the parking lot after the races. Take my word for it...it's a no-win situation.
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Old 11-22-2017, 05:46 PM   #19
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Going to Chicago the first part of December and figure what hell? Let's go to the races at Hawthorne. Dont say "it's a dump don't go" because I'm going to see a new track and add another to my list. I'm 26, surely I can rack up a decent number before they all shut down or I kick the bucket. But chime in on what I'm in for as well as pointers for a Saturday at Hawthorne.
Excellent, Polo. Try to see them all. I'm visiting #358 on Saturday, Garrison Savannah in Barbados.

I visited Hawthorne about 8 years ago, so my recollection is dodgy. I remember it being in a pretty rundown area, but once I was inside the track, no worries. My experience at the track was favorable (caught a nice sunny day in November). I had a rental car, so I can't speak of public transport. I did make sure not to stop in the local vicinity.

Lots of good advice on offer by other posters. Hope you have a great day and cash lots of tickets!!!
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Old 11-22-2017, 06:07 PM   #20
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Excellent, Polo. Try to see them all. I'm visiting #358 on Saturday, Garrison Savannah in Barbados.

I visited Hawthorne about 8 years ago, so my recollection is dodgy. I remember it being in a pretty rundown area, but once I was inside the track, no worries. My experience at the track was favorable (caught a nice sunny day in November). I had a rental car, so I can't speak of public transport. I did make sure not to stop in the local vicinity.

Lots of good advice on offer by other posters. Hope you have a great day and cash lots of tickets!!!
I visited Hawthorne about 20 years ago. I was able to get in the visit after a work trip to a supplier. Nothing special that I recall. Weather was chilly. Not a successful day of handicapping. I do remember the better than average looking toteboard with stone/brick portions.

Hey Tom, how about posting some pictures of Garrison Savannah went you get back. Should be a neat track visit!
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Old 11-22-2017, 08:57 PM   #21
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Hey Tom, how about posting some pictures of Garrison Savannah went you get back. Should be a neat track visit!
Chris - Will do. I've already arranged for a course walk and tour of the facilities on Friday morning. Looking forward to a fantastic day!
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Old 12-13-2017, 04:51 PM   #22
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Went to Hawthorne on Saturday and had a pretty awesome time. Uber'd there from Trump tower (which was an amazing place to stay) and arrived for the 3rd. It was so much what I expected . So outdated and rundown but I still loved it. Wished they hadn't closed the upstairs so I could've gotten some better pictures but that's ok. The paddock was very unique. Extremely run down and dirty, but unique nonetheless. I met up with a friend I met on Twitter who lives in Chicago and he shared lots of Chicago circuit knowledge with me which was awesome, but my handicapping at Hawthorne was awful. Cashed a few elsewhere and had a great Uber driver who happened to be from Louisville take me back to the tower. Fun weekend in the city.

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Old 12-13-2017, 06:02 PM   #23
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I was in the Chicago area around T-giving and went to Hawthorne for the first time in about 5 years. It was Hawthorne Gold Cup day, their biggest race, and it looked and felt like a ghost town.

At the end of the day, I went to a teller to cash in my voucher. While she's counting out my money, she proceeds to cough all over it. As I'm leaving the window, she mutters "gee, thanks a lot" in a sarcastic tone, apparently because I didn't tip her.
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Old 12-13-2017, 11:32 PM   #24
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Yeah it wasn't the most welcoming place..when I first walked in it reminded me of a strip joint it was so dark. Felt like I was stepping into the Godfathers study. The whole place felt as if it had been unchanged since the 60s or 70s. Fun to see it before it's gone. Although, it could outlast many simply because it's in such a terrible area there's no foreseeable threat to the land anytime soon you wouldn't think. It's a rough part of town. I thought the neighborhood around Churchill was bad...
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Old 12-14-2017, 12:11 AM   #25
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Yeah it wasn't the most welcoming place..when I first walked in it reminded me of a strip joint it was so dark. Felt like I was stepping into the Godfathers study. The whole place felt as if it had been unchanged since the 60s or 70s. Fun to see it before it's gone. Although, it could outlast many simply because it's in such a terrible area there's no foreseeable threat to the land anytime soon you wouldn't think. It's a rough part of town. I thought the neighborhood around Churchill was bad...
Driving down Cermak thru Berwyn and Cicero, I thought I time traveled back to 1965.
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Old 12-14-2017, 03:45 PM   #26
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The whole place felt as if it had been unchanged since the 60s or 70s.
The place opened in 1979 after the fire. The 3rd floor was vastly different back then and had been changed a few times over the years.

Pretty much an industrial looking plant as it was when it opened.
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Old 12-15-2017, 05:03 AM   #27
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An incredibly historic track

The ghosts of racehorses past at Haw. It is an amazing lineup.

Proctor Knott, Morello, Riley, Yo Tambien, Clifford, Chant, Lamplighter, Lookout, MacBeth II, Rey del Carreres (!), Paul Kauvar, Imp, His Eminence, Garry Herrmann, Endurance by Right, Hermis (ran his first race there), Savable, Flocarline, Judge Himes, Bad News, Ort Wells, Elwood, Dick Welles, Hindus, Go Between, Colonial Girl, Exterminator, Paul Jones, Sarazen (ran his first race there), In Memoriam, Black Gold, Princess Doreen, Mad Play, Easter Stockings, Neddie, Clyde Van Dusen, Display & Mike Hall & Crusader & Misstep & Sun Beau (all in one race), Current, Plucky Play, Rose of Sharon, Whiskery, Diavolo, Victorian, Alcibiades, Jim Dandy, Battleship, Burning Blaze, Mate, Risque, Dr. Freeland, Faireno, Head Play, Ted Clark, Gusto, Mata Hari, Equipoise, Mr. Khayyam, Sarada, Barn Swallow, Myrtlewood, Clang, Discovery, Whiskolo, Reaping Reward, Forever Yours, Marica, Calumet's Nellie Flag, Lawrin, Esposa, Challedon, Occupy (ran his first race there), Durazna, (ran her first race there), Occupation, Equifox, Spy Song (ran his first race there), Fighting Step, Delegate (ran his first race there), Cover Up, Billings, Pellicle, Inseparable, Oil Capitol, Vulcan's Forge, Ruhe, Black George, Bernwood, To Market, Ari's Mona, Sickle's Image, Berseem, Big Stretch, Princess Lygia, Hill Gail, Crafty Admiral, Sea O Erin, Rejected, Swoon's Son, Romanita, Dedicate, Summer Tan, Find, Aspidistra, Eddie Schmidt, Bornastar, Round Table, Stan, T. V. Lark, Tudor Era, Whodunit, Lady Golconda (Forego's dam), On-and-On, Kelso, Old Hat, Crimson Satan, Winonly, Beau Purple, Hurry to Market (ran his first race there), Admiral's Voyage, Donut King, Olden Times ran his last race there, Abe's Hope, Bold Bidder, Gummo, Gold Digger (dam of Mr. Prospector), Garwol, Diplomat Way, sprinter Zip Pocket, Dancer's Image, Dr. Fager (!), Al Hattab, Nodouble, T.V. Commercial, Drumtop, Verbatim, Hydrologist, Pattee Canyon, My Charmer (Slew's mom), Bee Bee Bee, Twice Worthy, Wing Out, Our Native, Shecky Greene, Tri Jet, My Juliet, Elocutionist, Royal Glint, Gallant Bob, Dave's Friend, Family Style, Creme Fraiche, Cryptoclearance, Cutlass Reality, Black Tie Affair, Buck's Boy, Awesome Again, Volponi, Dollar Bill, Ten Most Wanted, Perfect Drift, Evening Attire, Benny the Bull, Eldaafer, Work all Week, Mongolian Saturday .... whew.

Last edited by clocker7; 12-15-2017 at 05:05 AM.
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Old 12-15-2017, 10:33 AM   #28
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The book "Horseplayers" by Ted McClelland is based mostly on anecdotes of Hawthorne characters.

Visited there about 10 years ago, it was fine; a track to check off your list but probably not one you would visit regularly if you don't live in the area.
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