Bill Hartack

Jockey

• Born: December 9, 1932
• Birthplace: Ebensburg, Pennsylvania
• Died: November 26, 2007
• Place of death: Near Freer, Texas

Sport: Horse racing

Early Life

William John Hartack, Jr., was born on December 9, 1932, in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, and grew up on a farm in Belsano, Pennsylvania. His father, William Hartack, Sr., was a Slavic immigrant from Central Europe who worked in the Pennsylvania coal mines. Bill’s mother, Nancy (Rager) Hartack, was killed in an automobile accident when he was eight years old. He grew up in a strict Catholic environment with no mother and a harsh, domineering father. In school, he loved team sports but was too small to play. He was a good student and graduated at the top of his high school class. After he finished school, he planned to work at Bethlehem Steel Company, but he met a jockey’s agent who arranged for Bill to work as a stable hand at a horse racing track in West Virginia. The small, handsome young man—standing about 5 feet 3 inches and weighing 112 pounds—realized that horse racing was a sport for which he was well suited.

The Road to Excellence

Norman Corbin hired Bill as a stable hand at the Charles Town Race Track in West Virginia. His employer noticed that Bill was strong and courageous and that he was good with horses. Corbin soon made him an exercise boy, and, after two years, he decided to train Bill as a jockey. Bill’s racing debut was unspectacular. He finished near last in his first two races because he forgot to wear his goggles and the dirt blinded him. He shocked some observers with his unconventional riding style, sometimes even failing to grip his mount with his knees. Whatever his technical deficiencies, his ferocious determination and his ability to concentrate soon made him a top jockey. Few jockeys equaled Bill, with his quick reflexes and his ability to control and communicate with his mount.

Bill was determined to conduct his career and his life in his own way. He cared only about winning, not about what people thought of him. He had many suspensions for various racing infractions. His terrible temper created bad relations with agents, stable owners, and the press. After he won a race, he wanted to be by himself and not be bothered for at least an hour. If he lost, his anger was uncontrollable. His difficult personality caused him to have six different agents. His obsession with winning was both his greatest strength and his greatest weakness.

The Emerging Champion

Although Bill Hartack had to ride against some of the greatest jockeys in history, including Eddie Arcaro and Willie Shoemaker, in the 1950’s, he emerged as a great champion. Bill was effective at anticipating the strategy of the other jockeys. His incomparable reflexes allowed him to move rapidly to take advantage of openings on the track. He was physically tough and able to recover quickly from the many injuries jockeys suffer.

Bill rode 1,200 to 1,700 horses a year. In 1953, he had 328 wins, second to Willie Shoemaker. By age twenty, Bill had made enough money to buy his father a farm near Charles Town, allowing him to quit the coal mines. In 1954, Bill left Corbin and his contract was sold to Ada L. Rice, who brought Bill into the forefront of stake racing on her horse, Pet Bully. Bill worked for Mrs. Rice for about one year; in 1955, he became a freelance jockey. He teamed with agent John Charles (Chick) Lanz to form one of the most successful teams in horse racing. In 1955, Bill’s busiest year, he had 417 wins. In 1956, he had 347 wins, moving ahead of Eddie Arcaro, and in 1957, he had 341 wins. He won national riding championships in 1955, 1956, 1957, and 1960. In 1957, Bill earned more than three million dollars, a record that stood until 1967. He won the Kentucky Derby five times: on Iron Liege (1957), Venetian Way (1960), Decidedly (1962), Northern Dancer (1964), and Majestic Prince (1969).

Despite his winning record, his difficult personality continued to be costly. In 1958, his high temper lost him his contract with Calumet Farms. In 1960, Bill won 307 times, but as the years passed he began to find it difficult to get mounts to ride because of his inability to keep good agents.

Continuing the Story

Bill continued to win in the 1960’s, but his record became more checkered. In 1969, he reached the peak of his career with his fifth Kentucky Derby victory, on Majestic Prince. The last time Bill rode in a Derby was 1974, when he came in eleventh on Warbucks. In the mid-1970’s, as his career in the United States declined, he went to Hong Kong where he stayed for three seasons. Bill was then in his mid-forties, and he had a weight problem.

Despite the controversies that always surrounded him, Bill’s skill and determination paid off financially. He won a purse total of $26,322,700. He became wealthy, able to afford a fine home in Florida, sports cars, and expensive boats. He also bought his father a farm and paid for his sister’s college education. Bill was not as serious away from the racetrack—he liked to dance, swim, fish, and date women. After he retired in 1980, he worked as a racing official, acted as an ABC television commentator, and served as a technical adviser for racing movies. He died in November, 2007.

Summary

Bill Hartack was considered arrogant, sullen, and highly emotional. He turned a good part of the horse racing world against him. He cared little about other people’s opinions, nor did he care about the money; winning races was his only concern. His obsession paid off in terms of success. He won 25 percent of his races and was one of only two jockeys to win the Kentucky Derby five times.

Bibliography

Brodowsky, Pamela K., and Tom Philbin. Two Minutes to Glory: The Official History of the Kentucky Derby. New York: Collins, 2007.

Drager, Marvin. The Most Glorious Crown: The Story of America’s Triple Crown Thoroughbreds from Sir Barton to Affirmed. Chicago: Triumph Books, 2005.

Morgan, Bert, Eric Rachlis, and Blossom Lefcourt. Horse Racing: The Golden Age of the Track. Darby, Pa.: Diane, 2004.

The Ten Best Kentucky Derbies. Lexington, Ky.: Eclipse Press, 2005.