Perry Lefko

Sandy Hawley

In the world of thoroughbred racing and certainly in the chronicles of Canadian sports, diminutive Sandy Hawley stands tall as a legend, admired as much for his class as his riding ability. The native of Oshawa, Ontario became one of the greatest jockeys of his generation, graduating from his Canadian roots to become one of the best in North America. Hawley rode for a thirty-year period, during which he won 6,449 of 31,445 races, including a record-tying four Queens Plate, Canadas premier horse race. His mounts earned in the excess of $88 million, which placed him in the top 10 overall when he retired in 1998. He won the Eclipse Awardthe equivalent of the Oscaras North Americas top jockey, twice was named the winner of the Lour Marsh Award as Canadas top athleteprevious to him no jockey had ever been a recipientand received the order of Canada. Yet Sandy Hawleys story is not all about glory, celebrity, and wins. He suffered two failed marriages, which drained much of his income, and had his financial status impacted severely by income-tax problems. He also waged a battle to extricate himself from a contract that threatened his career just when it started to soar. But by far his biggest challenge became a battle with melanoma, a form of skin cancer. He successfully overcame and ultimately beat the disease, yet even more impressive was his resolve and determination to ride again. For the racing aficionados, this book captures all the great moments that made Hawley a star that has stood the test of time. But more than anything, its a depiction of a person, his successes and his failures, and more than anything, his humanity.

Sandy Hawley

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