Hawthorne’s fifteen-day spring meet drew to a close today with three stakes races for Illinois-registered horses.

It was a red-and-green-letter day for the triumvirate of owner William Stiritz, trainer Scott Becker, and jockey Chris Emigh.  The three combined for two stakes wins today: Dandy Gal in the Third Chance Handicap, and Goneghost in the Milwaukee Avenue Handicap.  Both stakes winners were homebreds for Stiritz, from the final crop of his longtime stallion Cherokee Rap.  They all three accepted meet titles, as well.  With ten wins, Stiritz claimed leading owner honours for the meet.  Those same ten wins brought Scott Becker the training title.  Emigh, with his pair of stakes wins on the final day of the meet, ended the spring at Hawthorne with a meet-leading fourteen victories.

Read on at Picks and Ponderings, and catch up with the end of the Hawthorne Thoroughbred season before moving across town to Arlington on Friday!