by Tom Kelley, for Hawthorne Racecourse

Stickney, IL — Racing Secretary Peter Hanley would like to remind all horsemen that stall applications for the 2016 summer harness meet at Hawthorne Race Course are due by April 1.

Racing will kick off on Friday (May 6) and Saturday (May 7) which is Kentucky Derby weekend. The following week Hawthorne will move to a four day a week schedule with live racing being conducted on a Thursday through Sunday schedule. Post time each night during the summer meet will be 7:20 p.m. (CDT).

Qualifiers will be held on Wednesday mornings throughout the summer meet with the first qualifiers tentatively scheduled for Wednesday (May 4).

The deadline for nominations to all the “Have Em Ready To Roll” late closing series races is April 15. The entry fee for all those events is $200. More information and nomination forms can be found at www.HawthorneRaceCourse.com.

The deadline for the ICF 2-year-old stakes program is also April 15. Information on that can be found on the Hawthorne website and also on the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association website at www.harnessillinois.com.