William J. Passmore
Encyclopedia
William J. "Bill" Passmore, Sr. (March 8, 1933 - May 14, 2009) was an American
jockey
and racing steward, who rode thoroughbred
horses for 38 years including at the Kentucky Derby
, Preakness Stakes
and Belmont Stakes
winning 3,531 races and $23 millions in his 38-year career before spending 20 years as a steward.
The 5-foot, 5-inch, 99 pound jockey was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania
, where Passmore's father, William L. Passmore
, was a successful steeplechase
jockey and trainer who worked for area horse breeder Bayard Sharp. Passmore's first mount was on May 23, 1948 at the age of 15, one year below the legal minimum, aboard Minneapolis at the now-defunct Jamaica Racetrack
in Queens
, New York
. Passmore's father pulled him out of school at age 16 so that he could help support the family.
He rode Hannibal to an eighth-place finish in a field of 16 at the 1952 running of the Kentucky Derby
, the only time he rode in that race. His only appearance in the Belmont Stakes
was in 1983 when he finished in 14th aboard Dixieland Band
. He rode in the Preakness Stakes
three times: finishing seventh aboard Galdar in 1954; riding Knight Landing to a seventh-place finish in 1980; and finished fourth aboard Thirty Eight Paces in the 1981 running.
He became the 32nd jockey in North American racing to win 3,000 races, with a 1981 victory, part of a career in which he won 3,531 races and $23 million in purses out of 29,490 mounts. He retired from racing in 1986, having interrupted his 38-year career in the early 1960s for a year-and-a-half when he worked as a jockey's valet while trying to break out of a slump. During his years as a jockey, Mr. Passmore rode regularly for King T. Leatherbury
, Jim McKay
and Art Rooney
. Among the notable horses that Passmore rode were Christopher R, Cure the Blues, Jameela
and Twixt.
Racing editor and historian Joseph B. Kelly of the Washington Star
described Passmore as having a "great sense of pace and a great touch with horses" and as a jockey "who never seemed to get too excited and was always very calm when aboard a horse." Passmore himself told the Baltimore Sun in 1971 that he would infrequently use a whip during a stretch run, "preferring to urge his mount with his hands and body as if he were a part of the horse", as "the whip isn't going to do any good" if the horse is already giving his best.
He used his experience as a jockey to serve as a steward for the Maryland Racing Commission, starting from when he left riding in 1986 until his deteriorating health forced him to retire a year before his death. Former racing writer Ross Peddicord of the Baltimore Sun described Passmore's honesty and fairness in his role as a steward making him one of the "pillars that perpetuated the reputation of Maryland racing for world-class horsemanship, undisputed class and quality...". Passmore was leery of accepting betting suggestions from jockeys who he characterized as "the worst touts at the track. I think the track makes a big mistake not installing a mutuel window
in the jocks' room."
Passmore died at age 76 in his home in Millersville, Maryland
on May 14, 2009 due to complications from emphysema
. He had moved to Millersville shortly before his death, having lived in Annapolis, Maryland
for the previous two decades. He is survived by his wife, the former Charlene Levy, as well as two sons, five daughters and 12 grandchildren.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
and racing steward, who rode thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
horses for 38 years including at the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
, Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
and Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
winning 3,531 races and $23 millions in his 38-year career before spending 20 years as a steward.
The 5-foot, 5-inch, 99 pound jockey was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania
The Borough of West Chester is the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,461 at the 2010 census.Valley Forge, the Brandywine Battlefield, Longwood Gardens, Marsh Creek State Park, and other historical attractions are near West Chester...
, where Passmore's father, William L. Passmore
William L. Passmore
William L. Passmore was a jockey and trainer in both flat and steeplechase Thoroughbred horse racing. He rode horses professionally from the late 1920s until about 1946 when he took up training....
, was a successful steeplechase
Steeplechase
Steeplechase may refer to:* Steeplechase, an event in horse racing* SteepleChase, a Danish jazz label* Steeplechase , a 1975 arcade game released by Atari...
jockey and trainer who worked for area horse breeder Bayard Sharp. Passmore's first mount was on May 23, 1948 at the age of 15, one year below the legal minimum, aboard Minneapolis at the now-defunct Jamaica Racetrack
Jamaica Racetrack
Jamaica Race Course was an American thoroughbred horse racing facility operated by the Metropolitan Jockey Club in Jamaica, New York. The track opened on April 27, 1903, a day which featured the inaugural running of the Excelsior Handicap. Eugene D. Wood, one of the founders and largest...
in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Passmore's father pulled him out of school at age 16 so that he could help support the family.
He rode Hannibal to an eighth-place finish in a field of 16 at the 1952 running of the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
, the only time he rode in that race. His only appearance in the Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
was in 1983 when he finished in 14th aboard Dixieland Band
Dixieland Band
Dixieland Band is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was bred by Bayard Sharp, a prominent and highly respected Delaware horseman and president of The Blood-Horse Inc. Out of the Sharp-owned multiple stakes winning mare, Mississippi Mud, he was a son of the 20th century's most influential...
. He rode in the Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
three times: finishing seventh aboard Galdar in 1954; riding Knight Landing to a seventh-place finish in 1980; and finished fourth aboard Thirty Eight Paces in the 1981 running.
He became the 32nd jockey in North American racing to win 3,000 races, with a 1981 victory, part of a career in which he won 3,531 races and $23 million in purses out of 29,490 mounts. He retired from racing in 1986, having interrupted his 38-year career in the early 1960s for a year-and-a-half when he worked as a jockey's valet while trying to break out of a slump. During his years as a jockey, Mr. Passmore rode regularly for King T. Leatherbury
King T. Leatherbury
King T. Leatherbury MBA is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer who ranks third all-time in wins among U.S. trainers....
, Jim McKay
Jim McKay
James Kenneth McManus , better known by his professional name of Jim McKay, was an American television sports journalist....
and Art Rooney
Art Rooney
Arthur Joseph "Art" Rooney, Sr. , often referred to as "The Chief", was the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers American football franchise in the National Football League.-Family history:...
. Among the notable horses that Passmore rode were Christopher R, Cure the Blues, Jameela
Jameela
Jameela is a genus of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae....
and Twixt.
Racing editor and historian Joseph B. Kelly of the Washington Star
Washington Star
The Washington Star, previously known as the Washington Star-News and the Washington Evening Star, was a daily afternoon newspaper published in Washington, D.C. between 1852 and 1981. For most of that time, it was the city's newspaper of record, and the longtime home to columnist Mary McGrory and...
described Passmore as having a "great sense of pace and a great touch with horses" and as a jockey "who never seemed to get too excited and was always very calm when aboard a horse." Passmore himself told the Baltimore Sun in 1971 that he would infrequently use a whip during a stretch run, "preferring to urge his mount with his hands and body as if he were a part of the horse", as "the whip isn't going to do any good" if the horse is already giving his best.
He used his experience as a jockey to serve as a steward for the Maryland Racing Commission, starting from when he left riding in 1986 until his deteriorating health forced him to retire a year before his death. Former racing writer Ross Peddicord of the Baltimore Sun described Passmore's honesty and fairness in his role as a steward making him one of the "pillars that perpetuated the reputation of Maryland racing for world-class horsemanship, undisputed class and quality...". Passmore was leery of accepting betting suggestions from jockeys who he characterized as "the worst touts at the track. I think the track makes a big mistake not installing a mutuel window
Parimutuel betting
Parimutuel betting is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the "house-take" or "vig" is removed, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all winning bets...
in the jocks' room."
Passmore died at age 76 in his home in Millersville, Maryland
Millersville, Maryland
Millersville is an unincorporated community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States.-Geography:Millersville is located at .-History:...
on May 14, 2009 due to complications from emphysema
Emphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...
. He had moved to Millersville shortly before his death, having lived in Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
for the previous two decades. He is survived by his wife, the former Charlene Levy, as well as two sons, five daughters and 12 grandchildren.