from the USTA Communications Department

Columbus, OH — The Illinois Racing Board held a hearing to allocate 2009 race dates on Monday, September 15.

Balmoral Park in Crete was awarded 171 dates to host live racing programs, while Maywood Park in Melrose Park was allocated 96 dates to host live racing programs. Hawthorne Racecourse, who in recent years held a summer harness meet, will have 112 thoroughbred dates, but was not awarded any harness dates.

The complete Balmoral and Maywood schedule is as follows:

Balmoral Park — 171 live race programs; 266 host race programs
Live racing on January 3 and 4;
January 5 through January 27, dark host period – no live racing;
January 28 through April 29, racing three nights per week, Sundays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, dark on Super Bowl Sunday, February 1 and Easter, April 12;
May 2 through October 31, racing four nights per week, Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays; and
November 1 through December 30, racing three nights per week, Sundays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Maywood Park — 96 live race programs; 99 host race programs
Live racing on January 1 and 2; and January 29 through December 31, racing two nights per week, Thursdays and Fridays, dark on Thanksgiving, November 26, Christmas Eve and Christmas.