Illinois Racing Board Suspends Suburban Downs License

The Illinois Racing Board has suspended the license of Suburban Downs, operator of harness racing at Hawthorne Race Course, casting doubt on the fate of the Thoroughbred meeting slated to start March 29. The IRB cited Suburban Downs' "failure to provide documentation demonstrating its financial integrity." The board suspended operations at the suburban Chicago track at the start of the year for failure to submit required surety bonds. Harness horsemen also had complained they had been unable to access purse earnings from the track, owned for generations by the Carey family. Tim Carey, current president and general manager of Hawthorne, was scheduled to address the Jan. 28 Racing Board meeting, but Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association President Chris Block said his organization was "extremely disappointed" to hear Carey did not plan to attend. Suburban Downs and Hawthorne are licensed separately, but the joint family ownership has impacted both organizations, including restrictions on incoming simulcast signals and pervasive reports of financial distress. "Today the Illinois Racing Board made a very difficult decision to suspend the operating license of Suburban Downs," said IRB Executive Director Domenic DiCera. "On January 15th, IRB requested bank statements that reflect the operating fund and any fund related to racing operations at Suburban Downs. "Unfortunately, their financial difficulties, including failure to provide financial documents showing their ability to operate assigned 2026 race dates, have led us to suspend their license." Hawthorne is the only remaining Thoroughbred track in the Chicago area and one of only two in Illinois. Its financial woes extend back years and have been intertwined with long-delayed plans to convert the old grandstand to a casino, as authorized by the State of Illinois in 2019. Hawthorne was granted a provisional casino go-ahead by the Illinois Gaming Board and demolished the grandstand, leaving only a metal skeleton, in preparation for construction, but then was unable to secure financing to proceed. Despite repeated assurances that a deal was nearly done, none has materialized. Carey most recently told the board in September, before being awarded 34 racing dates for 2026, that he would announce a deal during the fourth quarter of 2025 and start construction in early 2026. DiCera said the IRB will consider reinstating the license if Suburban Downs provides the required documentation. Hawthorne, located in the southwest suburb of Stickney, near Midway Airport, describes itself as the oldest continuously-run, family-run racetrack in North America. Thomas Carey bought the facility in 1909. The track has a 1-mile dirt oval and a highly regarded 7-furlong turf course. The only other remaining Illinois track is Fairmount Park in downstate Collinsville, across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. Fairmount, after a similar long delay, opened a casino in April 2025 under new ownership. It lacks a turf course.