Bill Hartack and 2 Unlikely Races

Two of Bill Hartack's five Kentucky Derbies were particularly memorable, one aboard Canadian Northern Dancer, and one with Iron Liege, both wins over Willie Shoemaker.

Irascible to the end of his ride, Bill Hartack died last month at the age of 74.

I remember...

Bill Hartack winning the Kentucky Derby in five of only nine tries, and in two trips that specifically linked him to my man, "Willie" Bill Shoemaker. With a brilliant mid-race move in 1964, Hartack guided the great Northern Dancer past Shoemaker on Hill Rise. Shoemaker's mount very gamely closed in the final quarter, running the last two furlongs in 23-3/5 seconds, a record matching Whirlaway's (1941). It wasn't enough, though. Northern Dancer stubbornly held on in a 24-second time and won by a squeaker of a neck.

Of course, 1957 marked the most significant matchup of the two gifted riders. Willie had Gallant Man, one of the year's top three-year-olds along with Bold Ruler (eventually Secretariat's daddy), speedy Federal Hill, Round Table, and Iron Liege, Bill Hartack's mount, in the lead. The ending of the race remains inexplicable. Even Willie, to his dying day, couldn't satisfactorily explain it. He stood up in the stirrups short of the finish line, thinking he had passed the wire as the race's winner.

He hadn't. Bill Hartack and Iron Liege blurred by Willie and Gallant Man, victorious benefactors of Willie's worst racing mistake.

Stuff happens.

Bill Hartack happened often in one of the prime era's of Thoroughbred racing. He won the Kentucky Derby a career record five times, joining the immortal Eddie Arcaro as the only two jockeys to do so. Arcaro rode his last Derby winner in 1952 with Hill Gail. Then Hartack and Shoemaker became the men to court to ride a Kentucky Derby contender. Between them, they won nine times, eight of the wins coming through two consecutive decades.

Rest well, riding warriors.