Perry Smith’s former Open champ Play Me Rock (Travis Seekman) goes postward in Hawthorne’s Saturday’s feature. (Four Footed Fotos) 

By Mike Paradise for the I.H.A.A.

 When a horse racing secretary takes a look at the entries for a particular program, it’s sort of like partaking in a Christmas Grab Bag undertaking. . . you don’t know just what you’re going to end up with.

  Hawthorne’s Race Secretary Robin Schadt had to be stunned by the sheer volume submitted for a late winter card. The number that arrived for this Saturday’s program turned out to be a lot more than anyone expected. . . a lot more.

 Over 170 horses were entered, and the vast majority will get to compete tonight because the program has been expanded to a king-size 15 race extravaganza. As they say, the more the merrier, especially at Christmas time.

  An uncommon Saturday program came about when the Christmas holidays fell on Sunday and Monday this year. With no racing on those days, a single pre-holiday Saturday program was carded instead. Eleven of the 15 races are 9 or 10 horse fields, which should delight the gimmick players.

  While there are no Open’s on the card (none were written on the Hawthorne condition sheet), there still are many top-notch horses going to the gate.For example, the sixth race for non-winners of $5,001 (ICF $6,250) in their last four starts lured two talented pacers from the Perry Smith stable—Play Me Rock (Travis Seekman) and stablemate Round Here Buzz (Mike Oosting). They’ll start side-by-side with posts 4 and 5, respectively.

 Play Me Rock was a two-time Hawthorne Open winner earlier in the meeting while Round Here Buzz was holding his own in $100,000 claiming events at Hoosier Park. Both have lifetime marks under 1:50 and interestingly, the same Trackmaster ratings of 90.41.

 Three-time Illinois Horse of the Year Fox Valley Gemini (Casy Leonard) returns to the races after more than a month off to take on the Perry Smith duo. Fox Valley Crete (Juan Franco), Marshall Malone (Wyatt Avenatti), Sweet Truth (Kyle Wilfong), Copper Teen (Bobby Smolin), Tookadiveoffdipper (Todd Warren), Star Commander N (Matt Avenatti) and Fox Valley Cayman (Brandon Bates) complete the solid field.

 The eighth race for fillies and mares with the same NW of $4,000 (ICF $5,000) last four conditions as their male counterparts will possess six of its nine starters from this season’s Hawthorne Opens has its participants. They are Kizzmelikeumissme (Kyle Wilfong), Martha Max (Todd Warren), She’s Magical (Mike Oosting) Dandy’s MNM (Bobby Smolin), JD’s Queen Lori (Brandon Bates) and Bombay Parkway (Casey Leonard)

 Ideal’s Nicole (Phil Knox), Roan B Design (Travis Seekman) and Lorraine Smoke (Kyle Husted) are the other aspirants in the race.

 Tough Post to Buck: The last seven races on tonight’s card carry 10-horse fields. Thus far of the 86 starters from Hawthorne’s 10-hole, only three have crossed the finish line first, a meager 3.5 winning percentage.

 Looking Ahead: Next week’s racing schedule will have a card on Friday, December 29th to make up for the lost program on this week’s Christmas schedule. Hawthorne will also race on Sunday, December 31st and Monday, January 1st.

 Entries for next Friday’s and Sunday programs close Tuesday, December 26th. Entries for the Monday, Jan. 1st card close on Thursday, December 18th.