Hawthorne Race Course

Friday, July 11th

Hawthorne Racecourse is a family owned business started in 1890 in Cicero, IL. XRT, Tom Marker and H.R. teamed up to hold a "Rock and Trot" where five XRT listeners attended the Harness Racing School on a Friday evening to duke it out for the title. Check out the XRT video here!

We set up a small booth inside the race course house and handed out promo items, talked to some of the horse-betters and made our way down to the holding pen where our very own Tom Marker and the XRT winners prepped before the big race. Alissa (intern) and I met all the participants and even Tom Marker's horse who was blind in one eye. It's turned out okay though, because Tom didn't exactly come in last with a horse like that. After mingling with the XRT fans and the riders in the holding pen, Alissa and I found a seat upstairs to watch the race. Family and friends and the usual race-goers gathered on a very weary night to witness Tom Marker race around the Hawthorne Race course, buggy-style. I took a few pictures with the XRT camera and cheered for Tom, who finished third overall.

The night ended in a nice dinner with a few XRT staff members and interns and an amazing lightening show, the best summer storm I've seen in a long time. We sat behind a huge glass window at the race course as we watched the rain beat and the thunder roll. It was definitely a different experience, but a good one nonetheless.