ETOBICOKE, Ontario - One's first inclination may be to think that whoever named Hawkey Star came up a bit short in the spelling department.
But Hawkey Star, the 2-year-old gelding who will make his stakes debut in Saturday's $125,000 Frost King at Woodbine, has a name that rings true on more than one level.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Jacqueline Davis, the 21-year-old daughter of retired jockey Robbie Davis, earned her first career victory at Aqueduct on Wednesday, guiding Blue Hill Bay ($131) to a front-running victory in a $35,000 claiming race on the turf. She won her first race in her 33rd mount.
Davis is a graduate of the inaugural class of Chris McCarron's North American Racing Academy, based in Lexington, Ky.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Square Eddie, the runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita last month, is in the midst of a two-week vacation at a California farm. Although his best races have come on synthetic surfaces, Square Eddie could make his 3-year-old debut on a dirt surface, trainer Doug O'Neill said.
"He'll make his next start in the new year," O'Neill said. "We've talked about a dirt race in the campaign."
O'Neill said Square Eddie is currently based at Magali Farms in Santa Ynez, Calif., and was sent there on Monday.
Remington Park has asked the Oklahoma Racing Commission for a 67-date Thoroughbred meet for 2009. The request, as well as proposed dates from the state's three other tracks, will all be considered at a commission meeting Nov. 20.
Remington's dates request closely mirrors its current meet. The track is seeking to open on Aug. 21 and run through Dec. 13. Remington also has asked for 50 dates for Quarter Horses for next year, from March 6 through May 31.
The Texas Champions Day program of eight stakes worth $425,000 on Dec. 6 will highlight the Retama Park winter Thoroughbred meet that opens Nov. 20. The San Antonio-area track is hosting 43 of the 65 race dates that Sam Houston Race Park canceled last month because of damage to its grandstand and stable area sustained in Hurricane Ike.
Jockey Rafael Hernandez has made a big splash since arriving at Hoosier Park 3 1/2 weeks ago. The 23-year-old native of Puerto Rico had won with 25 of his 181 Hoosier mounts coming into Wednesday's card. Hernandez won the riding title this year at Fairmount Park.
"I have won riding titles at Fairmount the last four years," said Hernandez.
Hernandez went to the jockey school in Puerto Rico for two years before beginning his riding career at Tampa Bay Downs four years ago.
Jockey Chris Fackler is 900 miles from home but having a great time at Beulah Park. Fackler, 18, hails from Boelus, Neb., where his parents are part-time trainers. He began riding in June 2007 at the Lincoln State Fair and has ridden at all of the tracks in Nebraska.
"My folks both trained some, and I had a lot of friends who were grooms and knew a lot of trainers," Fackler said. "I have always been light, so they talked me into trying it. It seemed a nice fit."
MIAMI - Big Drama would have been the odds-on favorite if he were to start here Saturday in the $150,000 Jack Price Juvenile. Instead, the most accomplished 2-year-old based in south Florida this summer will await greener pastures - as in the $750,000 up for grabs in the Grade 3 Delta Jackpot on Dec. 5 at Delta Downs.
Big Drama completed a sweep of the open division of the Florida Stallion series with a five-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile In Reality Stakes here Oct. 18. He previously captured both the six-furlong Dr. Fager and seven-furlong Affirmed stakes with similar ease.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The first time Commentator won the Grade 1 Whitney Handicap, the gelding was soundly defeated in his next race when Rick Dutrow ran two "rabbits" against him.
Don't look now, but Dutrow said he will try the same thing if Commentator runs in the Nov. 28 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs.
Dutrow said one of his emerging stable stars, Arson Squad, "is doing unbelievable right now" after romping to victory in the Oct. 3 Meadowlands Cup but "probably will need a little help" if he is to win the Grade 2, $500,000 Clark when running against Commentator.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Paul Ryneveld was named director of racing at Hastings on Wednesday. His responsibilities in the newly created position will be to oversee all racing operations.
Ryneveld, 38, is a graduate of the University of Arizonas Race Track Industry Program and has had extensive experience in the industry.
His first job in racing was at Longacres when he was 16-years-old and he also interned at Hastings while he was going to the University of Arizona.