After a nearly three-month break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, live racing returned to Hawthorne Race Course this past weekend. With safety protocols in place for horsepeople and staff, spectators not allowed on-site to watch races, and with the time away from the track for many horses, there was some uncertainty as to how entries and handle would be as racing returned. Those questions were answered quickly and emphatically by the Illinois horsepeople, as two packed days of qualifiers were followed by an overflowing entry box for racing’s return.