Texas Horseman Bill Hanna Dead
Blood-Horse
Date Posted: 9/19/2006 11:04:51 AM Last Updated: 9/19/2006 11:04:51 AM

Texas horseman Billy Hanna died Sept. 15 after a long battle with cancer.

Born in Houston in 1934, Hanna was an active member of the Texas Thoroughbred Association as well as an entrepreneur, songwriter, moviemaker, and computer expert. He was the majority partner in the group that brought 1983 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner Sunny's Halo to Texas to finish his stallion career at Double S Thoroughbred Farm near Tyler. Sunny's Halo died in 2003 and recently his remains were re-interred at the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville. Hanna helped organize and underwrite the cost of that effort.

Hanna also co-owned and/or managed other stallions Naevus, Smile, Irish Open, and Truluck.

Hanna's survivors include his wife, Jeanene, and six children.

Arlington, Hawthorne, Fairmount Awarded 2007 Dates
Edited press releases, Blood-Horse
Date Posted: 9/19/2006 8:16:35 PM Last Updated: 9/20/2006 10:23:17 AM

The Illinois Racing Board awarded 2007 racing dates Sept. 19, and the schedule is similar to that of this year.

Arlington Park was granted 94 dates from May 4-Sept. 16, with racing four days a week in May and June.

Hawthorne Race Course received 119 Thoroughbred dates from Feb. 23-May 3 and Sept. 21-Dec. 31. (Hawthorne also will offer 39 nights of harness racing in the summer.)

Fairmount was awarded 90 days from March 6-Sept. 29.

The National Jockey Club earlier pulled its request for winter/spring dates at Hawthorne. The NJC and Hawthorne have operated jointly, with Hawthorne providing the racing facility.

The IRB designated Arlington Park as the host track for simulcasting during dark days from Jan. 2-Feb. 15, when there is no live Thoroughbred racing in Illinois.

"In order for Illinois racing to improve and grow, it's important that both Arlington Park and Hawthorne Race Course have the opportunity to be successful," said Arlington Park President Roy Arnold. "The dates awarded by the IRB have given both of us that opportunity."

Regarding the six weeks of four-day racing in May and June, Arnold said: "By racing four days a week during May and the first two weeks of June, we're confident that we'll have larger fields running for higher purses during that time frame."

The first two days of the 2007 Arlington racing season will coincide with the simulcasts from Churchill Downs of the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) May 4 and the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) May 5.