Accomplishments
- Blacklick Township High School graduate was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame.
- A five-time winner in the Kentucky Derby. One of only two jockeys to accomplish the feat.
- Voted into the National Jockeys Hall of Fame at Pimlico in 1963.
- In 1970 become only the fifth jockey in history to ride 4,000 winners.
- Won the national riding championship four times.
- Won his first Kentucky Derby in 1957 aboard Iron Liege. Other Derby wins were on Venetian Way (1960), Decidedly (1962), Northern Dancer (1964) and Majestic Prince (1969). He rode in 12 Kentucky Derbys.
- Won the Preakness Stakes three times and the Belmont Stakes once.
- The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame states Hartack had 21,535 North American mounts and 4,272 winners.
- Led nation in victories in 1955 through 1957 and again in 1960. Led the nation in purse monies earned in 1956 and 1957.
- Was also the first jockey whose mounts eclipsed the $3 million mark in earnings, a feat he accomplished in 1957.
[…] While critics and racing historians felt Hartack could have become more popular with a more congenial personality, he continued to serve the sport he loved in other capacities for the rest of his life. After his death in 2007, his many friends in the industry established a charitable foundation in his name. Every year, the winning jockey of the Kentucky Derby receives the Hartack Memorial Award. On a more local level, Hartack was also inducted into the Cambria County Sports Hall of Fame in 1971. […]