The Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap is a Grade III race for thoroughbred horses run at Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney, Illinois each year. The Hawthorne Gold Cup trophy has always been made of solid gold.

The Hawthorne Gold Cup is currently a Grade III event for three-year-olds and up, at one and one-quarter miles (ten furlongs) on the dirt, and currently carries a purse of $250,000.

The Hawthorne Gold Cup was not run in 1934 and 1936 as a result of the Great Depression, not during World War II from 1940 through 1945, and not in 1978 when the grandstand was destroyed by fire. While the facilities were being rebuilt, the 1979 race was held at nearby Sportsman's Park. The race was also not run in 2016, due to purse money hardships in Illinois.

Historically, a premier race of the season that attracted the best horses from across the United States, U.S. Hall of Fame horse Sun Beau won it three times in a row between 1929 and 1931. Other Hall of Fame inductees have their name on the Gold Cup, including Equipoise (1933), Discovery (1935), Challedon (1936), Round Table, who won it back-to-back in 1957 and 1958, Kelso (1960) and Dr. Fager in 1967.

In 1959, Day Court, ridden by Henry Moreno, set a new track record in winning the race, a record that stood until Ron Turcotte broke it again in 1970 aboard Gladwin.

In 1979, the race was run at 9 furlongs.

Records Time record: (at current miles distance) 1:58. 4/5 – Gladwin (1970) and Group Plan (1974)

Largest Winning Margin: 10 lengths – Cryptoclearance (1988)

Most wins: 3 – Sun Beau (1929, 1930, 1931)

Most wins by an owner: 3 – Willis Sharpe Kilmer (1929, 1930, 1931) 3 – Walmac Farm (1948, 1949, 1955)

Most wins by a jockey: 3 – William Boland (1952, 1956, 1962)

Most wins by a Trainer: 3 – Howard Wells (1948, 1949, 1950) 3 – Robert J. Frankel (1983, 1984, 1985) 3 – Todd Pletcher (2008, 2014, 2015)

Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Time2017Scuba 6Alonso QuinonezBrendan P. WalshDARRS, Inc.2:03.122016 Race not held2015Commissioner4Florent GerouxTodd PletcherWinStar Farm2:02.092014Red Rifle4Florent GerouxTodd PletcherTwin Creeks Racing Stables2:03.242013Last Gunfighter4Joe BravoChad C. BrownJohn D. Gunther2:06.112012Pool Play7Miguel MenaMark E. CasseWilliam S. Farish IV 2:06.362011Headache5Paco LopezMichael MakerKenneth & Sarah Ramsey2:04.682010Redding Colliery4Rosie NapravnikKiaran McLaughlinMrs. Fitriani Hay2:04.162009Awesome Gem6David FloresCraig DollaseWest Point Thoroughbreds2:04.362008Fairbanks5Richard MiglioreTodd PletcherTeam Valor2:04.572007Student Council5Richard MiglioreSteve AsmussenMillennium Farms2:05.002006It's No Joke4Eddie Razo Jr.Rebecca MakerStan Fulton2:03.892005Super Frolic5Victor EspinozaVladimir CerinMillennium Farms2:04.662004 Freefourinternet6Greta Kuntzweiler Michael J. MakerEquirace.com2:03.342003Perfect Drift4Pat DayMurray JohnsonStonecrest Farm2:03.632002Hail The Chief5Jorge ChavezNiall O'CallaghanPeter M. Crane2:02.802001Duckhorn4Randall MeierPatrick B. ByrneMichael Tabor2:01.612000Dust On The Bottle5Tim DoocyGlenn HildSharon Hild2:03.091999Supreme Sound5Randall MeierMichael W. DickinsonPeter Harris2:01.191998Awesome Again4Pat DayPatrick B. ByrneStronach Stables2:02.711997Buck's Boy4Mark GuidryHilary PridhamQuarter B Farm2:00.541996Come On Flip5Christopher EmighLou GoldfineR. Ackerman & S. Sommer2:03.401995Yourmissinthepoint4Mark GuidrySteve KlesarisMark Parezo2:01.001994Recoup The Cash4Juvenal L. DiazJere R. Smith Sr.Richard Trebat2:01.991993Evanescent6Aaron GryderLou GoldfineMark Levy2:02.191992Irish Swap5Bruce PoyadouJoseph E. BroussardRandy Hendricks2:01.121991Sunny Sunrise4Chris AntleyBud DelpHarry & Mary Jo Meyerhoff2:04.101990Black Tie Affair4Juvenal L. DiazErnie T. PoulosJeff Sullivan2:03.401989Cryptoclearance5José A. SantosScotty SchulhoferPhilip Teinowitz2:00.401988Cryptoclearance4José A. SantosScotty SchulhoferPhilip Teinowitz2:00.201987Nostalgia's Star5Fernando ToroJay M. RobbinsHinds, Robbins & Duckett2:02.001986Ends Well5Randy RomeroRobert Reinacher Jr.Greentree Stable2:00.601985Garthorn5Rafael MezaRobert J. FrankelAnn & Jerry Moss2:01.801984Proof4Ed DelahoussayeRobert J. FrankelBertram R. Firestone/Jerry Moss2:01.201983Water Bank4Chris LamanceRobert J. FrankelElmendorf Farm2:01.401982Recusant4Ronald Hirdes Jr.Mike BallDonamire Farms2:01.801981Spruce Bouquet4Kerwin ClarkRoy C. Wood Jr.Dan O. Wolfe2:04.201980Tunerup4Jorge VasquezFloreano FernandezDaybreak Farm2:00.601979Young Bob4Ron TurcotteGerard McGrathJ. A. Logan1:51.001977On The Sly4Gregg McCarronMel GrossBalmak Stable2:01.601976Almost Grown4Michael MorganJack Van BergFlash III Stable2:01.601975Royal Glint5Jorge TejeiraGordon R. PotterDan Lasater2:02.201974Group Plan4Jorge VelásquezH. Allen JerkensHobeau Farm1:58.801973Tri Jet4Braulio BaezaThomas W. KelleyFred W. Hooper2:01.401972Droll Role4Eddie MapleThomas J. KellyJohn M. Schiff2:00.401971Twice Worthy4Laffit Pincay Jr.James P. ConwaySaddle Rock Farm1:59.401970Gladwin4Ron TurcotteEvan JacksonH. Harcourt1:58.801969Nodouble4Eddie BelmonteJ. Bert SonnierVerna Lea Farm1:59.801968Nodouble3Martinez HeathJ. Bert SonnierVerna Lea Farm1:59.201967Dr. Fager3Braulio BaezaJohn A. NerudTartan Stable2:01.201966Bold Bidder4Pete D. AndersonWoody StephensJohn R. Gaines2:02.601965Moss Vale4Ronnie BaldwinSam J. MolayGentilly Stable2:07.801964Going Abroad4Ray BroussardJoseph H. Pierce Jr.Edward & Harry Seltzer2:01.601963Admiral Vic3Mickey SolomonePeter J. DispenzaSunny Blue Farm2:03.601962Beau Purple5William BolandH. Allen JerkensHobeau Farm2:04.201961T. V. Lark4Johnny LongdenPaul K. ParkerPreston W. Madden2:02.601960Kelso3Eddie ArcaroCarl HanfordBohemia Stable2:02.001959Day Court4Henry MorenoWalter A. KelleyElmendorf Farm1:59.201958Round Table4Bill ShoemakerWilliam MolterKerr Stable1:59.801957Round Table3Willie HarmatzWilliam MolterKerr Stable2:00.201956Dedicate4William BolandG. Carey WinfreyJan Burke2:02.401955Hasseyampa4Billie FiskJohn J. Greely Jr.Walmac Farm2:04.801954Rejected4Eric GuerinWilliam J. HirschKing Ranch2:11.601953Sub Fleet4Steve BrooksJack C. HodginsDixiana Farm2:00.601952To Market4William BolandWilliam J. HirschKing Ranch2:01.401951Seaward6Avelino GomezHarry TrotsekHasty House Farm2:04.201950Dr. Ole Nelson4Gerald PorchHoward WellsM. A. & R. Saffir2:01.401949Volcanic4Angel RiveraHoward WellsWalmac Farm2:02.801948Billings3Melvin PetersonHoward WellsWalmac Farm2:06.001947Be Faithful5Willie GarnerH. H. Pete BattleMrs. E. E. Dale Shaffer2:03.201946Jack's Jill4Jesse HigleyJohn Milton GoodeJoseph A. Goodwin2:03.001939Challedon3Harry RichardsLouis SchaeferWilliam L. Brann2:03.201938Esposa6Nick WallMatthew P. BradyMiddleburg Stable2:13.801937Sahri II6Fred A. SmithJose CuevasLawrence Barker2:04.201935Discovery4John BejshakBud StotlerAlfred G. Vanderbilt II2:04.401933Equipose5Raymond WorkmanThomas J. HealeyC. V. Whitney2:02.801932Plucky Play5George WoolfWoody FitzgeraldNorthway Stable2:04.201931Sun Beau6Charles KurtsingerJack WhyteWillis Sharpe KilmerNF1930Sun Beau5Frank ColtilettiWilliam A. CrawfordWillis Sharpe KilmerNF1929Sun Beau4Frank ColtilettiAndy SchuttingerWillis Sharpe Kilmer2:01.601928Display5John MaibenThomas J. HealeyWalter J. Salmon Sr.2:03.00

References Chicago Barn to Wire history and details on the Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap