74 year old Hall Of Fame jockey Bill Hartack died of heart disease and while reading about this in the New Orleans Times-Picayune, I couldn't help but notice a similarity to Earl Strickland. what do you think ?
<Excerpt from the New Orleans T-P newspaper>
Hartack and fellow Hall of Fame rider Eddie Arcaro are the only jockeys to win the Kentucky Derby five times. Known for his competitive spirit, Hartack won his first Derby aboard Iron Liege in 1957. He then won with Venetian Way in 1960, Decidedly in 1962, Northern Dancer in 1964 and Majestic Prince in 1969.
Hartack won the Preakness aboard Fabius in 1956, Northern Dancer in 1964 and Majestic Prince in 1969. He won the Belmont Stakes once, with Celtic Ash in 1960.
"He was my idol," said trainer Mike Stidham, whose father, George, was Hartack's agent. "I was at the '69 Derby when he won with Majestic Prince. He was a great person to grow up around. He was a kid at heart."
Hartack rode until 1974 and had 4,272 wins from 21,535 mounts, winning nearly 20 percent of his races. He later rode in Hong Kong from 1978 to '80.
He was a steward at the Fair Grounds from 1993 to 2005. He was a Louisiana Downs steward last season.
Hartack won his first race in 1952 at West Virginia's Waterford Park, and he was elected to thoroughbred racing's Hall of Fame in 1959, at the age of 27.
He approached every mount, stakes horse or cheap claimer, the same: "I was mad almost every day I rode," Hartack told the Times-Picayune in 1993. "I went out there to win every single race I rode, and expected to win them all. If I didn't, I was not a happy camper. That's why I didn't get along with a lot of people. They expected you to be nice."
Doug
Edited to add: Full story here: http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1196231053146120.xml&coll=1
<Excerpt from the New Orleans T-P newspaper>
Hartack and fellow Hall of Fame rider Eddie Arcaro are the only jockeys to win the Kentucky Derby five times. Known for his competitive spirit, Hartack won his first Derby aboard Iron Liege in 1957. He then won with Venetian Way in 1960, Decidedly in 1962, Northern Dancer in 1964 and Majestic Prince in 1969.
Hartack won the Preakness aboard Fabius in 1956, Northern Dancer in 1964 and Majestic Prince in 1969. He won the Belmont Stakes once, with Celtic Ash in 1960.
"He was my idol," said trainer Mike Stidham, whose father, George, was Hartack's agent. "I was at the '69 Derby when he won with Majestic Prince. He was a great person to grow up around. He was a kid at heart."
Hartack rode until 1974 and had 4,272 wins from 21,535 mounts, winning nearly 20 percent of his races. He later rode in Hong Kong from 1978 to '80.
He was a steward at the Fair Grounds from 1993 to 2005. He was a Louisiana Downs steward last season.
Hartack won his first race in 1952 at West Virginia's Waterford Park, and he was elected to thoroughbred racing's Hall of Fame in 1959, at the age of 27.
He approached every mount, stakes horse or cheap claimer, the same: "I was mad almost every day I rode," Hartack told the Times-Picayune in 1993. "I went out there to win every single race I rode, and expected to win them all. If I didn't, I was not a happy camper. That's why I didn't get along with a lot of people. They expected you to be nice."
Doug
Edited to add: Full story here: http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1196231053146120.xml&coll=1
