Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Proposal to End World Trotting Derby

February 17, 2006

In both 2005 and 2004 the World Trotting Derby at DuQuoin had a field of only six horses each. As a result, a proposal from the Standardbred Advisory Board and Illinois Department of Agriculture's Tex Moats, bureau chief of County Fairs and Horse Racing, has been sent to Illinois Gov. Rod. Blagojevich. The proposal asks to end the World Trotting Derby after 2006 and to put the purse money toward ICF events. The World Trotting Derby began in 1981 when the Hambletonian was moved from DuQuoin to the Meadowlands.

Moats said that nothing could be changed without the governor's consent, and that Illinois horsemen would benefit more from the million dollars that usually goes to support the World Trotting Derby purse.

“I’m looking for a solution to give the Illinois horsemen a shot in the arm,” Moats said.

In anticipation of the World Trotting Derby being cancelled for 2007, no sustaining payments for 2006 two-year-old trotters will be requested, but if the race is not canceled, then payments will be required in 2007 for then-three-year-old eligibles.