Bill Hartack - A Controversial, Provocative and Great Jockey

American jockey William "Bill" John Hartack, Jr., (1932-2007) was characterized by the media as rude, arrogant, provocative, controversial, outspoken and a great jockey. Looking back on Hartack, none of it was as black and white as that, other than his talent and masterful command of a horse.

At 19, he won his first race, and seven years later, following a meteoric rise to prominence in the irons, he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame. Hartack won the Kentucky Derby five times, a record shared with Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Arcaro, and led the nation's jockey standings in earnings on two occasions, four times in number of races won. He'd been aboard Northern Dancer, Kelso, and Round Table, among other great thoroughbreds. He was featured on the cover of Time magazine, twice on Sports Illustrated's cover.

Following Hartack's retirement from riding, I worked with him for a time when he was a racing official, and I could see why the media had conflicted feelings about him. His intelligence was intimidating, and he was curt with any journalist who interrupted his work on a race day, for example, or any journalist who'd otherwise been rude to him.

Shortly before a race meeting in Southern California, I picked him up at LAX, and we went out to dinner before he crashed on a sofa at my place. Hartack made several memorable observations over dinner.

'You use your speed early, or you use your speed late.' This referred to the 1964 Kentucky Derby, when he piloted Northern Dancer from well off the pace to win in track record time.

'I never had a good day at the race track.' Hartack's hatred of losing was beyond description. If he had six mounts and won on five of them, the day was ruined.

His most provocative observation during dinner arrived late: 'The public is an idiot.' As I grow older, and consider the popular vote in several recent elections in America, I begin to see the wisdom in this.

But of course, he was referring to the racing public, and the story he told to support his statement goes back to Maryland's Laurel Race Course, now Laurel Park, when he was a young rider and had a mount on a mare he'd ridden several times before, winning on one occasion.

She was sore in the post parade, but then, she'd been that way in times past and had warmed up out of her soreness in a gallop before reaching the starting gate. Not this time, however. An odds-on favorite, the mare was still sore at the gate. Believing it was unfair to the betting public if she started, unfair to the mare, unfair to the owner and trainer, Hartack refused to ride.

There was a heated exchange with the racing stewards on a walkie talkie, and in the end, an outrider escorted Hartack and the mare back to the saddling paddock for another rider. When this was announced over the PA, the fans booed and called Hartack names. Walking toward the jockey's room, he removed his silks and passed them to the replacement rider. The rider asked if the mare was all right - a question Hartack left hanging while he continued in silence to the room, the answer being obvious under the circumstances.

The fans cheered the new rider wildly as the mare made her way to the starting gate once more. After she'd run terribly, finishing out of the money, and was returned to the stands to be unsaddled, the crowd booed the replacement rider something awful. When Hartack came out on his mount for the next race, the fans applauded and cheered him as passionately as they'd earlier jeered him.

Later on, Hartack had a similar experience when he took off a horse at the gate in Florida, and that may have cemented his attitude toward a public whose betting interests he tried to protect. His opinions were as strong as they come, true, but above all, he was a man of principle and conscience, a man of spotless integrity.

A loner, he didn't have many friends, and his death from heart disease came to him alone in a cabin on a hunting trip in Texas. He didn't have a wife or children. His mother died when he was young, and although the poor relationship he'd had with his father improved greatly over time - Bill had bought him a home and enabled him to retire from work in a Pennsylvania coal mine - his father had passed away, and he wasn't close to his two sisters. When he died, he had little money and no permanent residence.

The person who owned the Texas cabin, Garrett Condra, was one of Hartack's friends. Condra and his family had several cemetery plots available in Iberia, Missouri, and William John Hartack, Jr., is buried in one of them. In a line inscribed on Hartack's gravestone, the late rider's friend phrased his tribute: 'Dedicated to Honesty and Integrity in Racing.'

Don Walters is the author of the Amazon.com eBooks The Woman Who Loved Horses and Zoe, among other works. He grew up with horses in Kentucky, where he makes his home today. Visit his website with a click here for horse-related topics and links for connecting to other readers & writers.

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Athol George Mulley: Jockey Great

The great jockeys of Australian horse racing history have one experience in common: during their careers, they all had the benefit of teaming up with one extraordinary thoroughbred who not only contributed to their win records, but also earned them quality rides that further added to their accomplishments.

At most, however, such a thoroughbred lasts several years, where the great jockeys' careers span multiple decades.

One fitting example of this claim, perhaps the most apt of all, would be described in any examination that focused on a hoop known as Athol George Mulley. He contributed the better part of 40 years of his life to the Australian turf, contributing all along the way, but he is best remembered for one remarkable time span between December 1945 and October 1946.

During that time he had the good fortune to sit astride one of the literal and figurative giants of all time, Bernborough. Together, Mulley and Bernborough reeled off 15 consecutive victories, in the process besting quality competitors such as Neville Sellwood and George Moore and Phar Lap. The partnership came to an unceremonious conclusion when the pair failed to place in the 1946 Caulfield Cup. Even though Bernborough by this time had developed a reputation sufficient to result in his being allotted a huge weight, and still managed to run a close fifth, Mulley was replaced by Billy Briscoe.

Bernborough's credentials are unassailable, so much so that he was granted induction into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame with the inaugural group of horses that included Phar Lap, Carbine, Tulloch and Kingston Town. Mulley himself was to say of Bernborough, "He's a freak. Once he starts to wind up nothing can stop him." One of Phar Lap's strappers, Tommy Woodcock, said, "A great horse. A bulldog in a finish and too brilliant for Phar Lap in a sprint."

Mulley, too, has accomplishments that will substantiate any claim of his inclusion amongst Australia's great jockeys.

Perhaps most noteworthy of these are the two Sydney Jockeys' Premierships. He won it in the 1945/46 season, where he bested his nearest competitor by 15 wins, and again in 1960/61, which is remarkable for the longevity it represents.

He is also tied for second all-time winning-est jockey of the Golden Slipper Stakes. The first of these came in 1958 aboard Skyline, the next in 1960 astride Sky High and the final in 1964 aboard Eskimo Prince.

As is often the case with many professional athletes, jockeys being no exception, Mulley had a superstitious streak. He was known to wear an old singlet for luck beneath his racing colours and he always insisted on being the last to exit the jockeys' room before a race.

On the track, Mulley was known for riding with abandon, to the extent that journo Max Presnell said of him, "Mulley was a hair raiser, which beats some stereotype, programmed like a robot," speaking of less flamboyant jockeys.

He also was not above trying to gain a psychological edge and get into the heads of his fellow competitors. He frequently attempted to employ this technique on George Moore, perhaps his most bitter rival, to varying degrees of success. While he may have impeded Moore on one or more occasions, it may have backfired on others, with Roy Higgins maintaining that George Moore rode better when he was irritated.

When the verbal jousting was not sufficient to rattle Moore, Mulley was not above getting physical.

At a race meeting at Canterbury in 1967, shortly after Moore had returned from an overseas riding stint, along with bumping Moore and his mount during one of the events on the card, the Frank Underwood Stakes, Mulley tried to get under Moore's skin further by usurping Moore's locker in the jockeys' room.

The two had exchanged verbal hostilities earlier in the mounting yard which escalated to a fistfight when Moore discovered Mulley's equipment in his locker. According to Moore, Mulley had, "Queried my breeding," and uttered some derogatory remarks, "That were uncalled for in a room, particularly in front of little boys." According to one witness, Mulley was on the receiving end of a minimum of six punches from Moore, and both riders ended up being fined $200 for their lack of decorum.

Mulley had one famous run-in with the Flemington stewards. He was aboard 1956 Australian Cup favorite Cambridge when that horse failed to place. An investigation eventually resulted in Mulley being warned off, a ban that was lifted several months later.

He narrowly avoided another confrontation in that same race in 1961, when claiming illness, he gave up the ride on Dream King, who took the post at 33/1 odds and won by five lengths after running unplaced in his previous 10 events. Melbourne rails bookmaker Thomas Marney and Hollywood George Edser were some of the persons of interest on that occasion.

After 25 years in the saddle, Mulley spent the next 15 years as a trainer.

He died 12 March 2001 from Parkinson's disease.

The Athol Mulley trophy is named in his honour and is presented annually to the apprentice jockey who rides the most winners in a racing season at Royal Randwick.

To read more about Australian Horse Racing, Jockeys Premiership, Horse Racing Tips, Bookmakers, Racecourses and more, go to Pro Group Racing and receive your free E-Book on How to Win at Horse Racing.

==> See all the past winners of the Melbourne Cup.

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Comparing Jockey Changes and Workout Times in Horse Racing Handicapping

When handicapping horse races a lot of time is spent in evaluating each of several factors. Unfortunately, many times we fail to see the big picture because we don't put the factors together in order to see a big picture. In other words, we fail to connect the dots.

Workout times can tell quite a story about a horse's conditioning and readiness to win, especially when they are used in conjunction with other data that is available in the past performances or in the racing program. One big change that is usually considered when handicapping horse races is the jockey switch.

When a jockey gets off a mount it is a big deal and many bettors want to know why the rider left the mount. They also compare one rider to the other to determine if it will improve the runner's chances of winning. In the case of an apprentice getting on a horse, the reasoning of the trainer is pretty obvious. The conditioner wanted the horse to have the advantage of carrying less weight than the other runners since apprentices get a weight allowance.

But what is the reason for a good jockey getting on or off a horse? Does it mean the horse is improving? Has the jockey's agent spotted something? Or is the rider simply getting paid to ride the horse and is going to get some air? Looking at the horse in the post parade may help you to determine if it has improved, but there is another way to check on the runner.

Look at the workouts and see what they can tell you. There are several things you should look for. First of all, there are the actual times of the morning works. Have they gotten faster? Do you see an improvement in time that would tell you that the runner is getting faster and in better racing shape? If so and a better jockey is getting on the horse, that may be a very positive sign.

On the other hand, even if the times don't improve, a change in the frequency may mean the runner is being pushed more to get it into shape. It may also mean that the animal is getting fit and ready. Finally, it may be that there was a physical problem that has been overcome, such as lameness and now it is capable of working more often and therefore will be more competitive in its next race.

If you want to learn how a horse owner and insider handicaps just go to http://horse-racing-handicapping.co/ and get the truth about betting on horses and winning. Bill Peterson is a former race horse owner and professional handicapper. To see all Bill's horse racing material go to Horse Racing Handicapping, Bill's handicapping store.

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Good Jockey Bad Horse or Bad Jockey Good Horse?

Which is the better bet, a good jockey on a bad horse or a bad jockey on a good horse? I know a lot of you are saying it doesn't sound like either one is a good bet, but there are times when either one may be a profitable bet. Of course, figuring that out is one of the keys to making money betting on horses. That is a very difficult thing to do consistently, but the only way you will ever find bets that are under valued by the crowd is to bet on a horse or jockey who appear to be a bad choice.

When you think of it, how else will you ever get value? If you only bet on horses that appear capable of winning and jockeys who appear to be better than the other riders, how will you get a good price? The answer is, you won't.

That doesn't mean you should always bet riders with low win percentages or horses that seem overmatched, however. You have to be selective and still have a reason to wager on the horse. Some reasons that might convince you to back a runner that seems over matched will start with the odds. If they are high enough, any horse may be a good bet. It comes down to the simple equation of risk and reward. If the horse could only win the race one out of 100 times it is still a good bet if it is going off at 200-1. See what I mean?

The question is, when it does win that one time out of one hundred, why does it win? This is where your reason to bet comes into play. It may be an equipment change or trainer move or it may be nothing to do with this runner and everything to do with the competition. If you think the other runners each have a chink in their armor, a weakness or cloud over them, then they are vulnerable and can be beaten.

As for betting on a good jockey on a bad horse, good riders find ways to win and bad riders find ways to lose. Admittedly, a good jockey can't carry the horse across the finish line, but he or she may get every ounce of run out of the mount and also keep it out of traffic and trouble. A favorite with a jockey that isn't very skillful and sometimes makes bad choices is vulnerable and that jockey may cost the favorite the race. That's when the longshot with the capable rider becomes a good bet as long as reward outweighs risk.

If you want to learn how a horse owner and insider handicaps just go to http://horse-racing-handicapping.co/ and get the truth about betting on horses and winning. Bill Peterson is a former race horse owner and professional handicapper. To see all Bill's horse racing material go to Horse Racing Handicapping, Bill's handicapping store.

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Jockey Switches Can Signal a Win or Loss Depending On These Handicapping Factors

One of the most confusing factors horse racing handicappers have to deal with is when a jockey gets off one horse to ride another. What does is mean? First of all, how good is the rider who got off the mount and how good is the new one? That will tell you a lot.

Secondly, what experience has the new rider had with the horse? While we're on the subject of experience, what is the jockey trainer combo winning percentage? Yes it is tricky and that's why so many would-be horse players struggle with it.

The subject of horse racing handicapping is a complicated and risky business. There are no black and white, yes or no answers to these questions. The obvious answer, however, is often the right one. For instance, if the jockey who got off the horse has a far better win average than the new reinsman, then it is a pretty good bet that he or she has chosen a better horse and has given up on the other mount.

Winning riders get those high percentages and win riding titles at race tracks because they or their agent can spot a good mount and can also pick the better of the two when given a choice. Therefore, using the other handicapping factors of speed, class, pace, and recent form, which of the two mounts looks better, more likely to win?

If your handicapping picks the same horse the top jockey chose, then you are probably correct. Experience has taught me that when it comes to a choice between two horses, most jockeys do choose the right one. On the other hand, and here is where this all gets so tricky, you have to shop for value in your bets if you are going to make a profit betting on horses.

The rest of the horse players will also notice the switch and will probably lay off the horse that was abandoned by the better jockey. That means the odds will be higher, perhaps producing an overlay, on the horse that was left behind. Using your best handicapping skills, ask yourself what the horse should go off at and then increase it by at least 25%. Why increase your line on the horse? Because there may very well be something that the jockey knows about that horse that you don't know.

In almost all of these situations, even using your best handicapping and taking into consideration the odds offered, you will find the horse is not a good bet and should be left alone.

If you want to learn how a horse owner and insider handicaps just go to http://horse-racing-handicapping.co/ and get the truth about betting on horses and winning. Bill Peterson is a former race horse owner and professional handicapper. To see all Bill's horse racing material go to Horse Racing Handicapping, Bill's handicapping store.

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Jockey Changes Can Signal a Change in the Horse for Smart Handicappers

The most significant piece of equipment any race horse carries is the jockey. Blinkers and tongue ties may make a big difference, but when it is all said and done, the rider who pilots the horse and makes crucial decisions in a split second is the biggest key to success. Most past performances list equipment changes, though they still don't tell us about tongue ties, but which one notes a change in rider? You have to look for those yourself.

When a different jockey will be in the irons the astute handicapper makes a note of it and tries to figure out what that means to the performance of the horse and the sharpest horse players know it isn't all about jockey win percentages. There may be many reasons for a change and the most significant one is that the horse may have improved or declined since its last race.

That is what you really need to think about and question when you see the regular rider is off. The first thing to check is whether that new rider is one of the trainer's go-to riders. If a generic reinsman gets off and a rider with a high win percent for that conditioner gets on, that is a very positive sign. Does it signal an instant win? Certainly not.

There may be several reasons why a trainer will ask his or her favorite jock to get on a horse. Maybe the conditioner wants the rider's opinion about the animal or wants to try something different. It may also mean that the former rider decided he or she had enough and there is another mount that has a better chance of winning that is available. I think the best way to describe the often baffling business of musical riders is that there are wheels within wheels and you may never be able to figure out just why the rider switch occurred.

One way to find a clue as to the jockey switch is to check the recent works. Do you see an improvement? Is there an equipment change today? Let's say the trainer tried blinkers on the horse and got a much better workout time from it, that may be why a better jockey has been given the mount today.

If there is a suspicious lack of workouts, however, and a leading rider gets off the horse, it may signal a decline or even a physical problem such as lameness. If you are of a conspiratorial mindset, you might suspect that a lesser known jockey will keep the odds higher on the horse and that is why a no-name jockey has climbed aboard, but in my experience, things are seldom that murky in the world of training horses. The conditioners are pretty straightforward with their moves and if you take the time to learn a little about horse training, you'll usually be able to figure out the reasons for equipment changes or jockey switches.

If you want to learn how a horse owner and insider handicaps just go to http://horse-racing-handicapping.co/ and get the truth about betting on horses and winning. Bill Peterson is a former race horse owner and professional handicapper. To see all Bill's horse racing material go to Horse Racing Handicapping, Bill's handicapping store.

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