Hawthorne meet ends Sunday; jockey, trainer titles on line

With today's nine-race card, only four racing days remain in the Hawthorne fall meet, which will conclude this weekend, with 10-race cards and free admission Friday through Sunday.

While the horses are always the emphasis, the human battle offers considerable excitement in the last week of the season. Chris Emigh leads the jockey race by 2 wins over Tim Thornton going into today's program, while Frank Kirby holds just a single-race edge over Mike Reavis in the pursuit for leading trainer.

If Thornton were to win the jockey race, it would be his first riding title, while Emigh is in pursuit of title number eight. That would break the record of seven, which he shares with the recently retired Mark Guidry.

With the conclusion of Sunday's 10th race on Sunday, Hawthorne will be dark until March 7, when the track opens its spring meet, running through April 28.

Hawthorne will remain open for simulcasting during the live-racing hiatus.