David Fawkes

Birthdate: October 3, 1959

Birthplace: Aurora, Ill.

Residence: Davie, Fla.

Family: wife, Celia, daughter, Natalie

Fawkes captured a Breeders’ Cup race in his first attempt, when Big Drama went wire to wire to win the 2010 Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Big Drama went on to be named that year’s champion sprinter. 

Fawkes’ family owned and operated riding stables near Chicago, and he was introduced to racing through friend and trainer Don Gibbons, for whom he started galloping horses at age 16. Fawkes rode professionally in 1977 and 1978 and won with two of 26 mounts – including his first start.

After his riding career ended, he went back to galloping horses for Bernie Flint and working as an assistant trainer in Chicago to Christine Janks before relocating to Florida in mid-1990s. He also was an assistant for Butch Richards at Calder.

Fawkes opened his own training stable in Florida in 1998, with encouragement from Dr. Donald Frazier’s Pyrite Stables. He trained multiple stakes winner Tour the Hive for that outfit. 

In 2015 Fawkes trained Sheer Drama, a half-sister to Big Drama, to a pair of Grade 1 wins. He has also trained graded stakes winners Bahamian Squall, Duke of Mischief, Hot Summer and Take D’Tour.