Illinois Board Approves '09 Dates

On Sept. 15, 2008, the Illinois Racing Board approved the following racing schedule for 2009:

Hawthorne Race Course: 112 live programs: Jan. 1-Jan. 11, dark Tuesday and Wednesday;

March 6-April 30, five days a week, dark Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Easter, April 12 and April 30; and;

Oct. 1-Dec. 31, racing five days a week, dark Mondays and Tuesdays, Thanksgiving, Nov. 26 and Christmas, with live racing Oct. 12.

Arlington Park: 98 live programs: May 1-June 30, racing four days per week, dark Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with live racing May 25;

July 1-Aug. 29, racing five days per week, dark Mondays and Tuesdays; and Aug. 30-Sept. 30, racing four days per week, dark Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, with live racing Sept. 7.

Fairmont Park: 75 racing programs, April 7-Sept. 26, racing three days a week, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays