Bill Hartack

Who was Bill Hartack?

William John Hartack Jr. was a Hall of Fame jockey. He was born in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania.

Referred to by the media as both "Bill" and "Willie" during his racing career, Hartack grew up on his widowed father's farm in the Blacklick Township area of Cambria County, Pennsylvania. Small in stature, at age 17 he stood 5 ft. 4 in. and weighed 111 lb, a size that enabled him to pursue a career as a jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. By his third season of racing, Hartack was the United States' leading jockey, going on to win that honor on three more occasions. He and Eddie Arcaro are the only two jockeys to ever win the Kentucky Derby five times. As well, Hartack won the Preakness Stakes three times and the Belmont Stakes once. He rode Tim Tam to victory in the 1958 Florida Derby but two weeks before the Kentucky Derby, Hartack broke a leg and had to give up his ride on Tim Tam, who won the race.

During his riding career between 1953 and 1974 in the United States, Hartack rode 4,272 winners in 21,535 mounts. From 1978 to 1980 he raced in Hong Kong, then retired in 1981. Hartack led the nation in races won four times, and was the first rider to have purse earnings of $3 million in a season.