Winfield “Winnie” O’Connor was a runaway boy who learned to ride under the guidance of trainer W. C. “Father Bill” Daly, who also tutored Hall of Fame jockeys James McLaughlin, Danny Maher, and Edward Garrison in the art of race riding.
1956
Biography
Winfield “Winnie” O’Connor was a runaway boy who learned to ride under the guidance of trainer W. C. “Father Bill” Daly, who also tutored Hall of Fame jockeys James McLaughlin, Danny Maher, and Edward Garrison in the art of race riding.
O’Connor, who rode his first winner in 1896, was a sensation within a few years. He won 117 races in 1900 to rank seventh in North America, and the following year won 253 races to top the standings.
In an era when jockeys would perhaps receive a $50 gratuity for winning an important races, Hall of Fame trainer John E. Madden paid O’Connor $10,000, win or lose, just to ride Yankee in the 1901 Futurity, which he won.
After finishing fifth in the rider standings with 141 wins in 1902, O’Connor signed a lucrative contract to ride in France for Alphonso Rothschild. During the next nine years, he won 340 races on the flat before increasing weight necessitated him transitioning to riding steeplechasers.
O’Connor returned to America in 1924 and spent some time as a trainer.
Achievements
North America's leading rider in wins — 1901
Other Highlights
Won the Autumn Stakes — 1899, 1901
Won the Brooklyn Handicap — 1901, 1902
Won the New Rochelle Handicap — 1901, 1902
Won the Champagne Stakes — 1901
Won the Futurity Stakes — 1901
Won the Prix du Cadran — 1903
Won the Grand Prix Cercle International — 1905
Won the Grand Prix de Deauville — 1911
Won the Prix du Conseil de Municipal — 1911
Raymond “Sonny” Workman began his riding career at the age of 17 in Ohio. He then went to New York, where he quickly rose to prominence. In only his second year in the saddle, Workman won 120 races, winning on 24 percent of his mounts. He signed on as a contract rider for Hall of Fame member Harry Payne Whitney and later rode for Hall of Fame members Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney and Alfred Vanderbilt.
1956
Biography
Raymond “Sonny” Workman began his riding career at the age of 17 in Ohio. He then went to New York, where he quickly rose to prominence. In only his second year in the saddle, Workman won 120 races, winning on 24 percent of his mounts. He signed on as a contract rider for Hall of Fame member Harry Payne Whitney and later rode for Hall of Fame members Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney and Alfred Vanderbilt.
Workman led all North American riders in earnings in both 1930 and 1932 and also topped the leaderboard in wins in 1930. That year, he won 152 races (27 percent) and his purse earnings totaled $420,438.
Among the top horses Workman rode were Hall of Famers Equipoise, Top Flight, and Discovery, as well as champions Whichone, Now What, and Questionnaire. He also won the 1928 Preakness with H. P. Whitney’s Victorian.
Workman believed his best performance as a rider was when he defeated Hall of Famer Twenty Grand with Equipoise in the 1930 Pimlico Futurity after breaking sideways at the start and losing considerable ground. Workman retired in 1940 with 1,169 wins.
Achievements
North America's leading rider in earnings — 1930, 1932
North America's leading rider in wins — 1930
Triple Crown Highlights
Won the 1928 Preakness Stakes — Victorian
Other Highlights
Won the Metropolitan Handicap — 1931, 1932, 1933
Won the Hopeful Stakes — 1929, 1935
Won the Whitney Handicap — 1930, 1932
Won the Suburban Handicap — 1932, 1933
Henry Griffin rode in his first race at the age of 14 in 1891. Three years later, when only four riders won as many as 100 races, Griffin won 206 (winning on 31 percent of his mounts) to rank second only to fellow Hall of Famer Willie Simms, who won 228. That year, Griffin won the richest race of the season, the Futurity, with champion The Butterflies. He also won stakes aboard Hall of Famer Clifford and champion Ramapo.
1956
Biography
Henry Griffin rode in his first race at the age of 14 in 1891. Three years later, when only four riders won as many as 100 races, Griffin won 206 (winning on 31 percent of his mounts) to rank second only to fellow Hall of Famer Willie Simms, who won 228. That year, Griffin won the richest race of the season, the Futurity, with champion The Butterflies. He also won stakes aboard Hall of Famer Clifford and champion Ramapo.
In 1895, Griffin won 187 races, again winning at a 31-percent clip, to rank second to James “Soup” Perkins, who rode 192 winners. He repeated in the Futurity, winning this time with champion Requital; on that six-race card at Sheepshead Bay, Griffin won the first five races and did not compete in the sixth. That year, he rode champion 3-year-old colt Keenon, the two best 3-year-old fillies, winning the Gazelle on The Butterflies and the Travers on Liza, and on Hall of Famer Henry of Navarre, he beat Hall of Famers Clifford and Domino.
In 1896, Griffin won the Belmont aboard Hastings, the Preakness aboard Margrave, and the Suburban aboard Henry of Navarre. His services were coveted by many of the top stables, including those belonging to Hall of Fame members James R. Keene, Elias J. “Lucky” Baldwin, and August Belmont II, among others. The lanky Griffin grew too heavy for riding and retired in 1897 at the age of 20 with 569 career wins.
Achievements
Triple Crown Highlights
Won the 1896 Preakness Stakes — Margrave
Won the 1896 Belmont Stakes — Hastings
Other Highlights
Won the Futurity Stakes — 1894, 1895
Won the Travers Stakes — 1895
Won the Suburban Handicap — 1896
Successful in New York for four years in the early 1900s, Frank O’Neill departed for France in 1908 and became the leading rider there in 11 of the next 14 years.
1956
Biography
Successful in New York for four years in the early 1900s, Frank O’Neill departed for France in 1908 and became the leading rider there in 11 of the next 14 years.
O'Neill won the French Derby in 1909 with Negofol and 1917 with Brumelli; the Grand Prix de Paris in 1911 with As d’Atout and 1917 with Brumelli; the 1923 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with Parth; and the Grand Prix de St. Cloud with Oversight in 1910, Predictive in 1913, and Nino in 1926.
In England, he won the St. Leger Stakes in 1911 with Prince Palatine; the Epsom Derby in 1920 with Spion Kip; and the Epsom Oaks in 1924 with Straightlace.
Born in 1886 in Newton, Kansas, O’Neill started exercising horses at the age of 10 in St. Louis. He won his first race in 1901 and started riding in New York in 1903, when he won the Brooklyn Handicap with Irish Lad and the Travers with Ada Nay.
In 1904, he rode Hall of Famer Beldame to victories in the Alabama, Carter, Gazelle, and Saratoga Cup. In 1905, he won the Suburban with Beldame and the Manhattan and Toboggan with Hall of Famer Roseben, as well as Brighton Cup (Cairngorm), Spinaway (Edna Jackson), Adirondack (Tangle), and Juvenile (First Water). His final notable American victory was with Belmere in the 1906 Brooklyn Derby.
Achievements
11-time leading rider in France
Other Highlights
Won the Brooklyn Derby — 1903, 1906
Won the French Derby — 1909, 1917
Won the Grand Prix de Paris — 1911, 1917
Won the Brooklyn Handicap — 1903
Won the Saratoga Special — 1903
Won the Travers Stakes — 1903
Won the Alabama Stakes — 1904
Won the Saratoga Cup — 1904
Won the Manhattan Handicap — 1905
Won the Spinaway Stakes — 1905
Won the Suburban Handicap — 1905
Won the St. Leger Stakes — 1911
Won the Ascot Gold Cup — 1912
Won the Epsom Derby — 1920
When he retired in 1990 after more than 40 years in the irons, Bill Shoemaker had won a record 8,833 races, including 11 in the Triple Crown series.
1958
Biography
When he retired in 1990 after more than 40 years in the irons, Bill Shoemaker had won a record 8,833 races, including 11 in the Triple Crown series.
Shoemaker led all North American jockeys in earnings 10 times and in wins five times. He won 485 races in 1953, a record that stood for 20 years. The Eclipse Award winner for Outstanding Jockey in 1981, Shoemaker won the Kentucky Derby with Hall of Famer Swaps (1955), Tomy Lee (1959), Lucky Debonair (1965), and Ferdinand (1986); the Preakness with Candy Spots (1963) and Hall of Famer Damascus (1967); and the Belmont with Hall of Famers Gallant Man (1957), Sword Dancer (1959), and Damascus (1967), as well as Avatar (1975).
In September of 1970, Shoemaker won his 6,033rd race to surpass Johnny Longden for the all-time record. Shoemaker held the career wins record record until Laffit Pincay, Jr. surpassed it in late 1999.
Born in Texas in 1931, Shoemaker rode his first winner at Golden Gate Fields in 1949. He won the Santa Anita Handicap 11 times and the Santa Anita Derby, Hollywood Derby, Hollywood Gold Cup, Del Mar Handicap, and Oak Tree Invitational eight times each. He rode numerous legends, including Hall of Famers Swaps, Round Table, Northern Dancer, Buckpasser, Ack Ack, Cicada, Forego, John Henry, Spectacular Bid, and Gamely.
Shoemaker was 54 when he won his final Kentucky Derby aboard Ferdinand in 1986. The following year, he piloted Ferdinand to victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Shoemaker retired with purse earnings of $123,375,524.
Achievements
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey — 1981
North America's leading rider in earnings — 1951, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964
North America's leading rider in wins — 1950, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1959
Triple Crown Highlights
Won the 1955 Kentucky Derby — Swaps
Won the 1959 Kentucky Derby — Tomy Lee
Won the 1965 Kentucky Derby — Lucky Debonair
Won the 1986 Kentucky Derby — Ferdinand
Won the 1963 Preakness Stakes — Candy Spots
Won the 1967 Preakness Stakes — Damascus
Won the 1957 Belmont Stakes — Gallant Man
Won the 1959 Belmont Stakes — Sword Dancer
Won the 1962 Belmont Stakes — Jaipur
Won the 1967 Belmont Stakes — Damascus
Won the 1975 Belmont Stakes — Avatar
Breeders' Cup Highlights
Won the 1987 Classic — Ferdinand
Other Highlights
Won the Santa Anita Handicap — 1954, 1955, 1958, 1961, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1975, 1980, 1982, 1985
Won the Del Mar Handicap — 1950, 1953, 1954, 1971, 1976, 1982, 1983, 1987
Won the Hollywood Derby — 1951, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1974, 1976, 1982, 1986
Won the Hollywood Gold Cup — 1956, 1957, 1958, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1987
Won the Santa Anita Derby — 1956, 1958, 1960, 1963, 1965, 1970, 1977, 1987
Proving himself as one of the most durable athletes of the 20th century, Johnny Longden rode until the age of 59, retiring in 1966 with a record 6,032 wins.
1958
Biography
Proving himself as one of the most durable athletes of the 20th century, Johnny Longden rode until the age of 59, retiring in 1966 with a record 6,032 wins.
Born in 1907 in England, Longden was North America’s leading rider in wins in 1938, 1947, and 1948, and topped the standings in earnings in 1943 and 1945.
In 1943, Longden rode Hall of Famer Count Fleet to a sweep of the Triple Crown. He rode several other greats, including Hall of Famers Busher, Noor, Swaps, and Whirlaway, as well as standouts T.V. Lark, Your Host, Real Good Deal, Four-and-Twenty, and On Trust, among others.
At Del Mar in 1956, Longden became the world’s winningest jockey, breaking the record of 4,870 wins by British rider Sir Gordon Richards. Longden’s final ride was a winning one, as he booted George Royal to victory in the 1966 San Juan Capistrano Handicap.
Longden went on to be an accomplished trainer. He saddled Hall of Famer Majestic Prince to victories in the 1969 Kentucky Derby and Preakness, becoming the first jockey to also train a winner of those races.
Achievements
North America’s leading rider in wins — 1938, 1947, 1948
North America’s leading rider in earnings — 1943, 1945
Triple Crown Highlights
Won the 1943 Kentucky Derby — Count Fleet
Won the 1959 Kentucky Derby (as trainer) — Majestic Prince
Won the 1943 Preakness Stakes — Count Fleet
Won the 1959 Preakness Stakes (as trainer) — Majestic Prince
Won the 1943 Belmont Stakes — Count Fleet
Other Highlights
Won the Santa Anita Derby — 1947, 1948, 1950, 1955, 1961
Won the Santa Anita Handicap — 1945, 1950, 1951, 1956
The statistics and the rankings, as impressive as they are — 4,779 wins, including a record 17 in the Triple Crown series, and six times atop the North American jockey standings in earnings — only scratch the surface of Eddie Arcaro’s greatness and his remarkable journey in the sport of thoroughbred racing.
1958
Biography
The statistics and the rankings, as impressive as they are — 4,779 wins, including a record 17 in the Triple Crown series, and six times atop the North American jockey standings in earnings — only scratch the surface of Eddie Arcaro’s greatness and his remarkable journey in the sport of thoroughbred racing.
The incomparable accomplishments with the legendary horses he rode — Hall of Famers Citation, Whirlaway, Kelso, Nashua, Bold Ruler, Sword Dancer, Hill Price, and Real Delight, among numerous other champions and standouts — still only tell part of Arcaro’s extraordinary story.
Perhaps the most essential aspect of the Arcaro narrative was his mentality. Cordial and charismatic off the track, Arcaro was a demon in the irons, arguably the fiercest competitor racing has ever known. When appearing before chief steward Marshall Cassidy to answer for his actions in knocking fellow rider Vincent Nodarse off his mount in the 1942 Cowdin Stakes, almost pitching him into the Aqueduct infield, Arcaro responded without hesitation, “I was trying to kill the son of a bitch.”
Arcaro was hammered with a year’s suspension for the transgression, but the time on the sidelines did little to curtail his aggressiveness upon his return.
“My trouble had risen from a desire to win; my honesty had not been impugned,” Arcaro wrote in his autobiography, “I Ride to Win!”
“They (Greentree owner Helen Hay Whitney and trainer John Gaver) were eager to have me continue my association with them. And so I continued with Greentree at half-salary, thus becoming America’s highest-priced exercise boy. I spent the winter with the Greentree horses at Aiken, South Carolina, and improved my golf game.”
The suspension was lifted after Mrs. Whitney wrote to William Woodward, Sr., president of The Jockey Club, saying she would like to see Arcaro ride again before she died. Woodward complied and Arcaro returned from exile and was back in the saddle.
By the early 1940s, Arcaro had become the standard by which all other riders were measured, as evidenced by his nickname, “The Master.”
“Eddie and I were pals, but all friendship ended when the gate opened,” jockey Sam Renick said. “I would rather beat Arcaro than any other jockey because when you won a race against him you're beating the best.”
Arcaro was born in 1916 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and grew up across the Ohio River in Newport, Kentucky. He was 16 when he rode his first winner, Eagle Bird, in 1932 at Agua Caliente in Tijuana, Mexico. Arcaro became a household name when he won his first Kentucky Derby aboard Lawrin in 1938 at the age of 22. He also won the Derby in 1941 (Whirlaway), 1945 (Hoop Jr.), 1948 (Citation), and 1952 (Hill Gail), becoming the first rider to win the Run for the Roses five times.
The Triple Crown races were perennially showcase events for Arcaro. He swept the series twice in the 1940s for Calumet Farm with Whirlaway and Citation. He won the Preakness a record six times and the Belmont a record-tying six times (shared with 19th century legend James McLaughlin). Arcaro dominated the biggest races, winning multiple editions of the Jockey Club Gold Cup (10), Wood Memorial (nine), Suburban Handicap (eight), Saratoga Special (seven), Futurity Stakes (six), Brooklyn Handicap (six), Jerome Stakes (six), Withers Stakes (six), Acorn Stakes (five), American Derby (five), Beldame Stakes (four), Champagne Stakes (four), Hopeful Stakes (four), Kentucky Oaks (four), Manhattan Handicap (four), Metropolitan Handicap (four), Travers Stakes (four) and Woodward Stakes (four), among many others.
Arcaro considered Citation the best horse he ever rode.
“Almost every nice horse has one good move in them; the really good ones, you can move with them twice,” Arcaro said. “With Citation, you could call on him any time in a race. He had about eight moves in him.”
Elite strength and uncommon intelligence were two of Arcaro’s finest attributes. He wasted little motion in the saddle and was a marvel with the whip, able to switch it from side to side with rare precision.
In a five-part series for Sports Illustrated in 1957, Arcaro described the importance of instincts and split-second decisiveness. He said: “I believe that 80 percent of the time the outcome of a race depends on the individual thinking on the part of the jockey on the best horse. Most jocks and other racetrackers can go back over and over again to races that have meant something to them and see plain as day where one little thing done wrong or done right decided the final result. It’s plain to me that the jock with the best judgment — and this includes the ability to notice your opposition’s errors and take advantage of them — can often win even though he may not be on the best horse.”
Arcaro was North America’s leading rider in earnings in 1940, 1942, 1948, 1950, 1952, and 1958 and topped the list by stakes earnings in 1940, 1941, 1946, and 1948, and each year from 1950 through 1955. He owned the record with 549 stakes races and was the all-time earnings leader at $30,049,313 when he retired at the age of 46 in the spring of 1962. Arcaro was inducted into the Hall of Fame while he was still active in 1958.
“When I was growing up in Puerto Rico, my father would give me movies and pictures and tell me that if I wanted to be a jockey that I had to learn to ride like Eddie Arcaro,” said Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero, Jr. “God only makes so many people like Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, and Babe Ruth. Eddie Arcaro is right there with those people. He was the best ever.”
Following his riding career, Arcaro spent some time as a television commentator and opened a popular restaurant in Beverly Hills, California. He invested his money well and had significant oil holdings. Arcaro died Nov. 14, 1997, at the age of 81.
Daily Racing Form’s Joe Hirsch, the dean of American turf writers, eloquently summarized Arcaro’s legacy: “Many people believe he was the best there ever was. He loved people, all kinds of people, and it was very apparent. Even in crowds, with a smile and a one-liner he could make friends with total strangers. All his life, people responded to him, and it seems fair to say that during much of the 20th century he was the most visible and recognizable figure in American racing. There have been a lot of good riders and good intelligent riders, but few were able to successfully combine the two like Eddie did. Add his gift of initiative and daring, and you have a formidable mix. Racing people will celebrate his name and career as long as the sport continues.”
Achievements
North America's leading rider in earnings — 1940, 1942, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1958
Triple Crown Highlights
Won the 1938 Kentucky Derby — Lawrin
Won the 1941 Kentucky Derby — Whirlaway
Won the 1945 Kentucky Derby — Hoop Jr.
Won the 1948 Kentucky Derby — Citation
Won the 1952 Kentucky Derby — Hill Gail
Won the 1941 Preakness Stakes — Whirlaway
Won the 1948 Preakness Stakes — Citation
Won the 1950 Preakness Stakes — Hill Prince
Won the 1951 Preakness Stakes — Bold
Won the 1955 Preakness Stakes — Nashua
Won the 1957 Preakness Stakes — Bold Ruler
Won the 1941 Belmont Stakes — Whirlaway
Won the 1942 Belmont Stakes — Shut Out
Won the 1945 Belmont Stakes — Pavot
Won the 1948 Belmont Stakes — Whirlaway
Won the 1952 Belmont Stakes — One Count
Won the 1955 Belmont Stakes — Nashua
Other Highlights
Won the Jockey Club Gold Cup — 1935, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1959, 1960, 1961
Won the Wood Memorial Stakes — 1944, 1945, 1947, 1947*, 1949, 1950, 1956, 1957, 1958 (*won two divisions)
Won the Suburban Handicap — 1945, 1947, 1949, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961
Won the Saratoga Special — 1935, 1947, 1950, 1954, 1955, 1958, 1959
Won the Brooklyn Handicap — 1944, 1947, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1961
Won the Futurity Stakes — 1940, 1946, 1950, 1954, 1956, 1959
Won the Jerome Stakes — 1946, 1950, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1960
Won the Withers Stakes — 1940, 1946, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1955
By the summer of 1959, Bill Hartack had won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, led all North American jockeys in wins three times and earnings twice, and was so highly regarded that he was already in the Hall of Fame. He was 26 years old — and he was just getting started.
1959
Biography
By the summer of 1959, Bill Hartack had won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, led all North American jockeys in wins three times and earnings twice, and was so highly regarded that he was already in the Hall of Fame. He was 26 years old — and he was just getting started.
At the time of his Hall of Fame induction — he was the youngest rider ever to be so honored — Hartack was less than two years removed from becoming the first jockey to surpass $3 million in earnings in a single year. The total was more than $700,000 greater than the previous record, which Hartack had set in 1956, the year he won his first Triple Crown race with Fabius in the Preakness. Hartack’s $3 million year in 1957 included the first of his record-tying five Kentucky Derby victories, which he achieved with Iron Liege.
By his mid-20s, Hartack had a list of accomplishments few riders achieve in an entire career. The best was yet to come for the cantankerous but sometimes charismatic Pennsylvania native.
Agent Chick Lang began booking mounts for Hartack when the young jockey came to Maryland to ride early in his career. Lang also accompanied Hartack to Florida for his first winter of big-time racing. Hartack had the talent of a star, but his prickly persona rubbed many the wrong way.
“My biggest problem isn’t mounts, but Billy’s personality," Lang told Time magazine for a 1958 cover story. “I spend most of my time trailing around after him, apologizing to people he’s insulted. He’s particularly rude if he hasn’t won. He’s the most competitive athlete I ever saw. If he doesn’t win, he won’t talk to anybody."
Lang and Hartack eventually parted ways, but the agent always regarded Hartack as one of the finest riders in the sport’s history.
“He was just a great rider,” Lang said following Hartack’s death in 2007 at the age of 74. “He was a very, very deliberate rider. He knew what to do on a horse, and he did it well. If you were to ask me the best rider I ever saw, I’d say Eddie Arcaro a nose in front of Bill Hartack.”
Hartack, for all his obstinacy, could be charming under certain circumstances.
“On a horse, he was all business, but if you got to know him, he was friendly,” said fellow Hall of Fame rider Braulio Baeza, who became the second jockey to earn $3 million in a year, achieving the milestone 10 years after Hartack.
Hartack earned his first win at the age of 19 when he rode Nickleby to victory at Waterford Park in West Virginia in October 1952. It didn’t take Hartack long to become a standout and a polarizing presence. He topped all North American jockeys with 417 wins in 1955 (joining Bill Shoemaker as only the second rider to win more than 400 races in a year) and led the standings again in 1956, 1957, and 1960. But with success came controversy. In September 1958, Hartack punched another rider, Jimmy Johnson, in the jockeys’ room at Atlantic City Race Course. Hartack went after Johnson after the stewards disqualified one of Hartack’s mounts and made Johnson’s the winner. Hartack received a 15-day suspension — one of many times he was sat down during his career — and was criticized for a pattern of behavior unbecoming a rider in a Daily Racing Form editorial headlined, “Hartack Must Mature.”
Arcaro, who was president of the Jockeys’ Guild, didn’t care much for Hartack and his behavior.
“Hartack’s a great rider, but I don’t like him personally,” Arcaro said. “You never know how he’s going to act. One minute he’s friendly with you and the next minute he doesn’t know you.”
Hartack kept doing things his way. He dominated throughout the 1960s, winning the Derby four times in the decade with Venetian Way (1960), Decidedly (1962), Northern Dancer (1964), and Majestic Prince (1969). Hartack also won the Preakness with Northern Dancer and Majestic Prince and added a victory in the 1960 Belmont Stakes with Celtic Ash for a total of seven Triple Crown race wins in the decade.
When he won the 1969 Derby with Frank McMahon’s unbeaten Majestic Prince, Hartack matched Arcaro with his fifth victory in the Run for the Roses.
“He was the greatest Derby rider in history, won five of 12," the Daily Racing Form’s Joe Hirsch said of Hartack following the rider’s death. “He could make a judgment that was just genius, and make it quickly. He moved before most of the fellows had decided what to do.”
More than 50 years earlier, in a cover story for Sports Illustrated in September 1956, Hirsch also noted the contradictions of Hartack.
“He does indulge himself in the vilest of black moods, during which he refuses to speak to close friends, scowls and glowers at almost everyone,” Hirsch wrote. “Bill feels his position as one of America’s leading riders quite keenly, and hates to give bad performances or be beaten on a favorite. Since nearly everything he rides is heavily supported, the pressure is tremendous, and occasionally he gives vent to his feelings by sulking.
“However, when things are going right, he’s full of natural charm, discusses things intimately and frankly with even casual acquaintances. This is no simple boy, this Hartack. He hasn’t fully learned to accept all the many obligations or success as of yet. But then Arcaro, too, was a renowned wild one in his youth and matured into quite a man, respected wherever there was racing in this country. Hartack is the Arcaro of tomorrow, and tomorrow is almost today.”
Hartack retired in 1974 with 4,272 North American wins and purse earnings of more than $26 million. He later did television commentary, rode for some time in Hong Kong, and became a racing official. He died just a couple weeks shy of his 75th birthday on Nov. 26, 2007, of heart disease at a hunting ranch in Texas. Hartack was a lifelong bachelor who enjoyed dating many women, but much like his racing career he was never completely content.
“Maybe I’ll get married in a year, but there are three girls I’m thinking of,” he said in the Time cover story. “I haven’t met ’em yet, but it’s all arranged and I’ll meet ’em in the next three months. It’s the same as it is with racing. No matter how good a horse you’re on, you’re always looking for a better one.”
Achievements
North America’s leading rider in wins — 1955, 1956, 1957, 1960
North America’s leading rider in earnings — 1956, 1957
Triple Crown Highlights
Won the 1957 Kentucky Derby — Iron Liege
Won the 1960 Kentucky Derby — Venetian Way
Won the 1962 Kentucky Derby — Decidedly
Won the 1964 Kentucky Derby — Northern Dancer
Won the 1969 Kentucky Derby — Majestic Prince
Won the 1956 Preakness Stakes — Fabius
Won the 1964 Preakness Stakes — Northern Dancer
Won the 1969 Preakness Stakes — Majestic Prince
Won the 1960 Belmont Stakes — Celtic Ash
In his final year in the irons, Johnny Loftus was the regular rider of two of the most famous racehorses of all time. The year was 1919 and Loftus was making history with Sir Barton, the first Triple Crown winner, and Man o’ War, arguably the greatest thoroughbred of them all.
1959
Biography
In his final year in the irons, Johnny Loftus was the regular rider of two of the most famous racehorses of all time. The year was 1919 and Loftus was making history with Sir Barton, the first Triple Crown winner, and Man o’ War, arguably the greatest thoroughbred of them all.
Loftus was the leading rider in North America in 1919 with earnings of $252,707, and he won on 35 of his 82 mounts that year, but his reputation as an elite rider was established well before he rode Sir Barton and Man o’ War. Contemporaries regarded Loftus as a first-class post rider, an excellent judge of pace, a powerful finisher, and an intelligent and capable handler of horses.
Born in Chicago, Loftus decided to become a jockey at age 14, but the left-hander looked as if he would develop into a large man. His first boss, George Moreland, said Loftus “had calves like a wrestler and never would be a race rider.” Moreland turned over the contract rights to Loftus to trainer John M. Goode in exchange for a mare. Loftus rewarded Goode by riding numerous winners, including his first victory, which he scored at Latonia in 1910.
Loftus continued to develop his skills and eventually rode for prominent owners such as Col. E. R. Bradley, Joseph E. Widener, John Sanford, Harry Payne Whitney, Commander J. K. L. Ross, and Samuel Riddle. Loftus won his first Kentucky Derby with Sanford’s George Smith in 1916 and his first Preakness on War Cloud in 1918. He took the 1916 Travers and Withers Stakes with Spur, the 1917 Gazelle Handicap with Regret, and the 1918 Latonia Cup with Exterminator.
Sir Barton was a maiden when Loftus piloted him to victory in the Kentucky Derby in 1919. Although the term “Triple Crown” was not used at the time, Loftus became the first jockey to complete the series when Sir Barton also prevailed in the Preakness and Belmont.
That same year, Loftus won five stakes with Man o’ War before being defeated by Upset in the controversial Sanford Memorial Stakes at Saratoga. In Loftus’ version of the Sanford, starter E. H. Pettinghill was responsible for Man o’ War’s only defeat in 21 career starts. A substitute starter that day, Pettinghill released the barrier while Man o’ War was facing the wrong way following a false start, according to Loftus. Man o’ War rallied but fell short of Upset at the finish. Loftus and Man o’ War avenged the defeat to Upset 10 days later in the Grand Union Hotel Stakes and closed out the 2-year-old’s remarkable campaign with victories in the Hopeful and Futurity. Loftus never rode again after 1919 because his license was not renewed by The Jockey Club. It as speculated that his ride in the Sanford was the reason Loftus was blackballed.
Along with his two victories in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and his score in the Belmont Stakes, Loftus won the Travers Stakes, Hopeful Stakes (twice), Jerome Handicap, Withers Stakes (twice), Toboggan Handicap (twice), Gazelle Handicap, Kentucky Oaks, Stuyvesant Handicap (twice), Remsen Stakes, Empire City Handicap, Fall Highweight Handicap, Saratoga Cup, Kentucky Handicap, Saranac Stakes, Carter Handicap, Latonia Derby, Suburban Handicap, Alabama Stakes, Beldame Handicap, and Latonia Cup, among others.
After his career in the irons, Loftus enjoyed success as a trainer. He conditioned Pompoon to victories in the San Carlos and Dixie handicaps in 1938, and also won stakes with Chestnut Oaks, Chickahominy, Mountain Elk, Pasha, Errand’s Guide, and I’m Marie.
Achievements
North America's leading rider in earnings — 1919
Triple Crown Highlights
Won the 1916 Kentucky Derby — George Smith
Won the 1919 Kentucky Derby — Sir Barton
Won the 1918 Preakness Stakes — War Cloud
Won the 1919 Preakness Stakes — Sir Barton
Won the 1919 Belmont Stakes — Sir Barton
Other Highlights
Won the Hopeful Stakes — 1913, 1919
Won the Withers Stakes — 1916, 1919
Won the Stuyvesant Handicap — 1918, 1919
Won the Saratoga Cup — 1913
Won the Travers Stakes — 1916
Won the Alabama Stakes — 1917
Won the Kentucky Oaks — 1917
At the time of his retirement in 1964, Ralph Neves ranked sixth all time with 3,772 wins. Known for his aggressive riding and a strong preference for riding on the lead, Neves was 13 when he began riding and his initial track experience came in California under the tutelage of Hall of Fame trainer M. E. “Buster” Millerick.
1960
Biography
At the time of his retirement in 1964, Ralph Neves ranked sixth all time with 3,772 wins. Known for his aggressive riding and a strong preference for riding on the lead, Neves was 13 when he began riding and his initial track experience came in California under the tutelage of Hall of Fame trainer M. E. “Buster” Millerick.
Although most of his success took place on the West Coast, Neves rode with distinction for Anthony Pelleteri and W. E. Boeing in the East and for Calumet Farm in the Midwest. Neves rode as light as 105 pounds, at which weight he won the 1957 Santa Anita Handicap with Llangollen’s Cornhusker.
Neves’ most famous mount was Hall of Famer Round Table. His favorite victory was aboard Sweepida in the 1940 Santa Anita Derby. Neves also won a Hollywood Gold Cup with Solidarity, a San Juan Capistrano with Royal Living, and a Santa Anita Maturity with Trackmaster.
Seriously injured numerous times, Neves went down in a spill at Bay Meadows in 1936 and was pronounced dead by the track announcer; it was a bad call, as Neves rode for another 28 years.
Achievements
Won the Sunset Handicap — 1939, 1954, 1957
Won the Hollywood Derby — 1953, 1954, 1962
Won the San Felipe Stakes — 1940, 1946
Won the Los Angeles Handicap — 1958, 1960
Won the Samta Anita Derby — 1940
Won the Del Mar Handicap — 1949
Won the Hollywood Gold Cup — 1949
Won the Blue Grass Stakes — 1957
Won the Santa Anita Handicap — 1957
Won the San Juan Capistrano Handicap — 1959
