IHHA President Jeff Davis responds to Du Quoin Questions

I have received numerous inquiries and concerns regarding the DuQuoin Stakes, precisely the draw, the subsequent redraw, and the decision to revert to the original draw.

I want to clearly articulate the IHHA's actions and my involvement in this matter.

When the original draw for the Two-Year-Old Pacing Fillies and the Two-Year-Old Pacing Colts was posted, I was contacted by IHHA members and members of our Drivers' Committee, who raised safety concerns. Multiple drivers told me they did not feel safe with multiple trailers.

Our Executive Director contacted the race secretary in response. The race secretary informed him that the draw was conducted according to USTA rules, so further discussion was not warranted.

Following a conversation with our Executive Director and another board member, I contacted Hawthorne officials directly.

At 5:28 PM on Thursday, I sent the following message:

"I am concerned about the field sizes for the races in DuQuoin. We have two-year-olds and three-year-olds with two and three trailers on a track with a hub rail. I am worried about the safety implications. Is there any consideration to reduce the field sizes?"

Initially, I received the same response the race secretary gave our Executive Director.

However, I emphasized my concern that Hawthorne, as the operator, could be liable if an accident were to occur. After further discussion, Hawthorne officials informed me that they had decided to conduct a redraw.

The redraw took place on Friday morning.

Following the redraw, some of our members and horsemen were satisfied, while others were upset. I understand that some horsemen contacted the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) and threatened legal action.

Later that day, Tim Norman from the IL Department of Agriculture sent the following email:

Good Afternoon,

I have discussed the redraw for DuQuoin's Tuesday night races with Director Costello and General Counsel Tess Feagans. Hawthorne is acting as the vendor; these are Illinois Department of Agriculture races with IDOA purse money. No changes should be made to race programming without Department approval. The Department did not sign off on the redraw. The initial draw was done in accordance with the DuQuoin State Fair conditions that have been published in the 2024 Illinois Racing and Stakes Guide since February. As a result, we expect Hawthorne to revert to the original races, fields, and post positions determined in the initial draw.

Thanks, Tim

The confusion arises because the 2024 Illinois Stakes Guide does not specifically address field sizes for the Illinois State Fair Colt Stakes and DuQuoin State Fair in their conditions (page 14).

On page 16 for the DuQuoin State Fair County Fair Challenges, field sizes are addressed under rule #3, which limits fields to 10 horses per race.

Additionally, on page 13, the Cardinal and Violet Stakes are also limited to divisions of 10 horses.

Just a few weeks ago in Springfield, the Three-Year-Old Pacing Fillies had 23 entries divided into fields of 8, 8, and 7.

This lack of consistency across conditions for different races leads to confusion and must be fixed moving forward.

In the case of DuQuoin, it is even more pressing, as we have been racing with a maximum of 9 horses wide for several years, unlike the standard ten horses wide on a mile track.

Given this context, it was reasonable to request a redraw based on safety concerns expressed by our Drivers.

However, the Illinois Department of Agriculture ultimately has the authority to decide this issue:

On page 14 of the guide, the following statement regarding conditions for the Illinois and DuQuoin State Fairs states:

"If any issue arises that is not covered by these conditions, the Illinois Department of Agriculture and/or the Illinois Racing Board reserves the right to decide any question. All entrants agree to abide by those decisions."

You can review the guide yourself at the following link: stakes-guide.pdf (illinois.gov)

If there are any further questions, please feel free to contact me.