By Dan RossThe extent of Hawthorne Race Course's financial troubles, and with it the enormous ramifications for industry stakeholders in the state, were made glaringly clear during Wednesday's Illinois Racing Board (IRB) meeting. With the 2026 Thoroughbred meet scheduled to begin March 29, representatives from the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (ITHA) detailed both the sense of urgency with which they're seeking assurances from Hawthorne the meet can go ahead, as well as the consequences if it doesn't. “We're working with a new partner, someone nearby, someone interested in Illinois and Illinois racing, who really wants all of this to succeed and move quickly,” said Walsh. “Whatever's going to happen is going to happen in the next two or three weeks.”The racing board did not ask about the identity of this alleged partner nor any substantive details about the purported deal. However, I want to assure the horsemen that Hawthorne, its employees and the Carey family are disgusted by this turn of events.