Bill Hartack
A fiercely determined and controversial five-time Kentucky Derby winner who battled the racing establishment as fiercely as his mounts.
1932–2007 (age 75)·American jockey·Birthday: December 9·The Silent Generation
Biography
Bill Hartack rode with a fury that matched his temperament, becoming one of the most successful and prickly jockeys in American racing history. He won the Kentucky Derby five times between 1957 and 1969, a feat matched only by Eddie Arcaro, yet he often seemed at war with the sport's owners, trainers, and press. Hartack was intensely private, disdainful of publicity, and famously argumentative over riding strategies, believing he knew his mounts better than anyone. His rivalry with the more polished and popular Bill Shoemaker defined an era. After his U.S. career, he rode in Hong Kong and later became a racing official. Hartack's legacy is that of a pure, uncompromising competitor whose talent was undeniable, even if his personality kept him from being beloved.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Bill was born in 1932, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bill Was Born
The biggest hits of 1932
#1 Movie
Grand Hotel
Best Picture
Grand Hotel
Bill's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1932Born
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1937Started school
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1945Became a teenager
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1948Could drive
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1950Could vote
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Turned 21
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1962Turned 30
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1972Turned 40
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 50
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 60
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 70
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2007Died at 75
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
Key Achievements
- Won the Kentucky Derby five times (1957, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1969), tying a record at the time.
- Captured the Preakness Stakes three times and the Belmont Stakes once, completing racing's Triple Crown in 1969 aboard Majestic Prince.
- Induced into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1959, at just 27 years old.
Did You Know?
He was famously superstitious and insisted on wearing a lucky number; his Derby wins came when he wore #1A.
He never used a riding whip, preferring to hand-ride his mounts.
After retiring, he worked as a steward at Louisiana racetracks, applying his sharp eye for detail to officiating.
“I don't care if people like me. I'm here to ride winners.”
