Hawthorne is getting innovative

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by South Beach Luv

That is a classic.

The couple that we sat beside at Keeneland last weekend are coming to Chicago in December and are going to HAW. They said they never been there and like to go to different tracks. I couldn't grasp why anyone would plan their vacation around a trip to HAW and tried to convey to them what was in store for them. I should send that post to the guy as it does a much, much better job.

I've never been to Hawthorne -- but it is one old ass race track.

Here is an amusing DRF write-up about a maiden race at Hawthorne that was run on September 15th 1898.

That maiden race got an amazing 74 horses who entered to run in it.

Most of them are what was called "badge horses" ... horses that people would buy cheaply in order to get badges so they wouldn't have to pay admission fees. Even in the early 1920's -- it was cheaper to buy a good seat at a world series baseball game and watch Babe Ruth play, than it was to go to Aqueduct to watch a race card.