This weekend is closing weekend at Hawthorne, and it’s going out well: ten-race cards both Saturday and Sunday, and full fields all day, both days. For Episode 187 of Chicago Race of the Day, we jump into the 6th race on Saturday’s card: an overflow field of juvenile fillies lining up for a maiden special weight dirt sprint. There’s a lot to delve into, including five first-time starters, so let’s get to know them!

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Yesterday we talked about two-year-olds going long…so let’s mix it up, and talk about some older open claimers going short! Episode 186 of Chicago Race of the Day dives into Sunday’s 3rd at Hawthorne, a $5,000 claiming sprint for fillies and mares aged three and up. Open claimers tend to be tough and competitive races, and this is no exception…so let’s delve in, and see who gets the best of it!

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It may be mid-December, but it’s still not too early for a “first” of the year. Episode 185 of Chicago Race of the Day delves into Saturday’s Hawthorne opener: the first juvenile dirt route of the year. A $25,000 maiden claimer, it drew eight runners, all of whom are trying two turns on the main track for the first time. It opens up plenty of questions of pedigree and pace, so let’s start thinking!

Listen to Chicago Race of the Day right here. And, make sure to subscribe on either Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or through the RSS feed so you don’t miss an episode!

Episode 184 of Chicago Race of the Day looks at Sunday’s Hawthorne 8th, a salty allowance-optional for older fillies and mares. We talk about how the track played on Saturday, how it may play on Sunday, and how it may affect the race. So, dive in, and learn a little about handicapping the winter (or, for those as technical as I am, the almost-winter) at Hawthorne!

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Saturday’s feature at Hawthorne is the second and final stakes race of the meet, the Jim Edgar Illinois Futurity. The race drew a field of nine Illinois-bred juvenile colts and geldings to go six and a half furlongs on the dirt. Just like its fillies’ complement, it features a mix of more proven horses, maidens with a bit of running, and some first-time starters: so let’s make our way through the field!

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Don’t worry — we haven’t forgotten that there are some horses at Hawthorne who aren’t two! Episode 182 of Chicago Race of the Day jumps into Sunday’s 3rd, a conditioned claiming sprint for older males. There’s a mysterious short-priced horse with plenty of reason to play against, as well as a live longshot with the right running style, so let’s delve into the race and find out who to watch for!

Listen to Chicago Race of the Day right here. And, make sure to subscribe on either Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or through the RSS feed so you don’t miss an episode!

For Episode 181 of Chicago Race of the Day, there’s something in store that we haven’t had all year: a stakes race! Saturday’s card at Hawthorne features the Pat Whitworth Illinois Debutante, in which seven Illinois-bred juvenile fillies get the chance to test their class. It’s a mix of first-time starters, maidens, and winners: including the two standout Illinois-bred fillies we’ve seen so far.

Listen to Chicago Race of the Day right here. And, make sure to subscribe on either Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or through the RSS feed so you don’t miss an episode!

We remain in the two-year-old ranks for Episode 180 of Chicago Race of the Day. Sunday’s fifth race at Hawthorne is a five-and-a-half-furlong dirt sprint for juvenile fillies, maiden special weight. The race drew a field of ten, including four first-time starters…giving us plenty of room for both pedigree musing and form analysis.

And, just so you know? There won’t be an episode coming in for next Friday, but don’t adjust your dials. Hawthorne is switching to two days a week for the month of December, and those days will be Saturday and Sunday. Rest assured Chicago Race of the Day will be with you through the rest of the meet, but we’ll be running two days a week along with Hawthorne.

Listen to Chicago Race of the Day right here. And, make sure to subscribe on either Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or through the RSS feed so you don’t miss an episode!

Two-year-olds return to the track at Hawthorne on Saturday, November 28. The third race at Hawthorne is a maiden special weight turf mile for juvenile fillies that drew a field of eleven. Between first-time starters, first-time turf, and trying two turns for the first time, there’s a lot to dive into both from a pedigree perspective and from a race form standpoint. So, let’s dive in!

Listen to Chicago Race of the Day right here. And, make sure to subscribe on either Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or through the RSS feed so you don’t miss an episode!

Episode 178 of Chicago Race of the Day delves into a full field of twelve beaten claimers going short on the dirt. It’s a good race in which to catch a square price: the likely heavy favorite will not have things his own way, and another one of the probable short-priced horses not only may have the same pace difficulties, but he does have a bit of a habit of running underneath.

How can we catch a price? Listen, and find out!

Listen to Chicago Race of the Day right here. And, make sure to subscribe on either Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or through the RSS feed so you don’t miss an episode!

Episode 177 of Chicago Race of the Day shines a light on Sunday’s Hawthorne 7th. It’s a classy dirt allowance featuring some of the best horses in the grounds. Some are proven sprinters; one tries this distance for the first time in years, and it looks like a perfect exhibition of the old adage, “pace makes the race”!

Listen to Chicago Race of the Day right here. And, make sure to subscribe on either Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or through the RSS feed so you don’t miss an episode!

In Episode 176 of Chicago Race of the Day, we take a look at a sort of race we haven’t done in a while: a maiden special for older horses. Saturday’s fourth race is a six-and-a-half-furlong race for fillies and mares, and I have questions about the likely pair of chalks. So, join me for a look at the field!

Listen to Chicago Race of the Day right here. And, make sure to subscribe on either Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or through the RSS feed so you don’t miss an episode!

Racing is back underway at Hawthorne on Friday, and Chicago Race of the Day is back in action as well! Episode 175 dives into Friday’s Hawthorne 8th, a competitive allowance optional claiming sprint for fillies and mares going six and a half furlongs on the dirt. There’s a lot to think through between their form, their condition fit, and how the race looks to set up…so let’s dive in!

Listen to Chicago Race of the Day right here. And, make sure to subscribe on either Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or through the RSS feed so you don’t miss an episode!

We go back to the two-year-old ranks for Episode 174 of Chicago Race of the Day. Sunday’s Hawthorne 5th is a maiden special weight sprint for juveniles, going six furlongs on the dirt. With eight experienced runners and four first-time starters, there’s a lot to think about…so join me, and let’s ask the right questions!

(And, for those who need more ’90s rock in their lives? One of the horses in the race, Wheels, shares his name with a gem by Cool for August. This may not be a music podcast, but I cannot in good conscience talk about a horse named Wheels without sharing this song.)

Listen to Chicago Race of the Day right here. And, make sure to subscribe on either Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or through the RSS feed so you don’t miss an episode!

It might be a rainy day in Chicago on Saturday, so Episode 173 of Chicago Race of the Day stays on the dirt. The Hawthorne 7th is a six-and-a-half-furlong claiming sprint for fillies and mares. It’s got exactly the kind of favourite that we love to beat…so let’s figure out how to make this race pay.

Listen to Chicago Race of the Day right here. And, make sure to subscribe on either Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or through the RSS feed so you don’t miss an episode!