by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Freehold, NJ — The World Trotting Derby and its companion race for fillies, as well as the Hayes Memorial races, will not be contested this year at the Du Quoin State Fair in Illinois because of budget cuts, but races for Illinois bred horses, including the county fair challenges, will be held.

Charlyn Fargo, the Illinois Department of Agriculture bureau chief for county fairs and horse racing, clarified an earlier report that all races would be canceled at Du Quoin.

“Both divisions of the World Trotting Derby as well as the Grand Circuit at Du Quoin, which in our particular situation is the Hayes Memorial races, are canceled but other races will be held,” Fargo said Friday.

Funding for the World Trotting Derby and Grand Circuit at Du Quoin was eliminated as part of the proposed Illinois budget as the state seeks to eliminate a $13 billion deficit in the general revenue fund.

Last year, Du Quoin offered five days of racing, featuring 53 races and a total of $1.47 million in purses. The meet culminated with the $540,000 World Trotting Derby, won by eventual Horse of the Year Muscle Hill.

Du Quoin has been the home of the World Trotting Derby since 1981 and was the site of the Hambletonian from 1957 through 1980.

“We’re well aware of the harness racing tradition at Du Quoin,” Illinois Department of Agriculture spokesman Jeff Squibb said. “The fair and harness racing are almost synonymous. It was a very difficult decision to make.”

Squibb said racing at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield would be unaffected by the budget because the racing at Springfield was funded differently.

“The Illinois State Fair is not as dependent upon the general revenue fund as Du Quoin is,” Squibb said.