DEL MAR : Hawkster Is Retired to Stud at 4

What had lately been a rumor became fact Monday. Owner Shelley Meredith announced that his horse, Hawkster, had been retired.

Selected as Del Mar’s top 3-year-old male in 1989, Hawkster will stand at stud at Airdrie Stud near Lexington, Ky.

Hawkster, who had been scheduled to run in the $250,000 Eddie Read Handicap Aug. 12, had been bothered by ankle problems for the last year.

“His ankle problems began here last year,” trainer Ron McAnally said. “I don’t know how much longer we could have gone with him.”

Last year, Hawkster became known for his fifth-place finishes in all of the 1989 Triple Crown races, the only time that has ever happened.

Among his victories were triumphs in the second division of the Oceanside Stakes and the Del Mar Derby, both on turf here.

After winning only five of the meeting’s first 36 races, favorites have begun a comeback at Del Mar.

Four favorites won Sunday and the trend continued Monday with five more favorites winning.

Veteran jockey Eddie Delahoussaye, who is spending his 11th summer at Del Mar, said poor early showings by favorites might have been caused by the soft Del Mar track.

“Like any track, horses take a while to adapt to a new surface,” Delahoussaye said. “This track has a little give to it.”

Shirkee, ridden by Russell Baze, took the lead in the final sixteenth to win the $46,000 turf feature by 2 1/2 lengths over Santa Tecla and Gary Stevens.

Shirkee covered 1 1/16 miles over a firm course in 1:42 and paid $14.80, $5.40 and $3. Santa Tecla returned $6.20 and $3 and Lowell paid $2.40.