The Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (ITHA) late Friday afternoon filed a “limited” objection with the federal bankruptcy court that is poised to finalize the $90-million sale of Hawthorne Race Course to a non-racing entity at a scheduled Monday hearing, telling the judge that the deal should include a mandate that builds in protections for the humans and horses that live on the backstretch there.“Specifically, ITHA requests that the Sale Order expressly provide that the Backstretch Community may remain at Hawthorne until Nov. 1, 2026, and requires the funding for the completion of the Thoroughbred season or of a dedicated transition reserve, in an amount identified by ITHA and approved by the Court, sufficient to cover the costs of relocating the Backstretch Community,” stated the July 17 pleading in United States Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Illinois (Eastern Division).“ITHA does not seek to prevent the Debtors from monetizing their assets or to prevent the proposed sale to ALLIMAC 2023, LLC,” the court filing continued. “ITHA brings this limited objection to speak for the workers, families, children, and horses whose lives are inseparably tied to the property but whose circumstances are not addressed by the existing sale terms.”Hawthorne, controlled by the Chicago-area Carey family for decades, has been seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection since Feb. 27 in an attempt to restructure between $100 and $500 million in debt.On Tuesday, ALLIMAC, a Delaware-incorporated shell company that does not intend to continue the sport on the property of the 135-year-old track, emerged as the lone bidder for Hawthorne.ALLIMAC ended up being the only interested party despite repeated declarations by Tim Carey, Hawthorne's president, and the company's bankruptcy attorney, Barry Chatz, that there were numerous interested buyers who wanted to preserve Hawthorne's racing and build out the racino that the Carey family started six years ago but never completed because of financial troubles.“We have multiple, ongoing, business-concern parties who are very interested in the racino opportunity as well as continuing racing,” Chatz told the Illinois Racing Board as recently as June 17.Efforts to reach Hawthorne executives on Friday evening for comment on the ITHA's objection were unsuccessful.The ITHA's legal filing explained a bit more about the rationale for the objection.“The Backstretch Community is substantial,” the court filing stated. “Approximately 337 adults, including workers and their spouses, and approximately 147 children ranging from newborns to 18 years old currently reside year-round at Hawthorne,” the ITHA's filing stated.“The Backstretch Community also includes the horses stabled at Hawthorne. Since early July, approximately 447 horses have been stabled at Hawthorne. Relocating these horses is not a simple or immediate process,” the filing stated.“Hawthorne is not merely a parcel of real estate containing easily moved personal property [and] for many members of that community, Hawthorne is both a workplace and a home. Their housing and employment are tied to the property, and many of their children are enrolled in local schools and rooted in the surrounding community.“These are hardworking, lower-income individuals whose livelihoods depend upon the continued operation of the ecosystem that exists at Hawthorne. Without a transition plan, many would face the immediate challenge of securing new housing, relocating their families, and securing new employment at the same time,” the filing stated.“The requested date of Nov. 1 corresponds with the conclusion of the racing season and a natural transition point for racing operations. It provides a practical, limited period for the Backstretch Community to plan and complete an orderly transition,” the filing stated.“ITHA is not seeking to prevent ALLIMAC from acquiring the property. ITHA asks only that the final sale terms recognize the reality of what is being purchased: a property that presently houses a large and interdependent community,” the filing stated.“The ITHA and Backstretch Community's priority would be to continue racing through the entirety of the Thoroughbred season. The horsemen invested in Hawthorne by relying on the assurances that the racing season would start promptly and continue through the Nov. 1 season end.“Not only did the Thoroughbred season start three weeks late but now, the horsemen's livelihood is being abruptly pulled out from underneath three months early with limited opportunity before the end of the racing season,” the ITHA's filing stated.“The continued race season and employment of the horsemen through Nov. 1 should be the priority of all parties with a pecuniary interest in Hawthorne,” the ITHA's filing stated.Monday's hearing is set for 10 a.m. (Central). Other objections have been lodged since July 14, primarily by creditors over money-distribution issues.The post Illinois Horsemen File Legal Objection to Hawthorne Bankruptcy Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.