The Bill Hartack Memorial Handicap is an American Thoroughbred

horse race Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

run at Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney/ Cicero, Illinois in the early spring of the year. The ungraded stakes race is for horses three-year-olds and older, and is set at a distance of one and one-eighth of a mile. The race offers a purse of $200,000. In 2009, the race was downgraded from a Grade III event to ungraded status, but as of 2015 had once again been awarded Grade III status. Formerly known as the National Jockey Club Handicap, the race was inaugurated as the Bill Hartack Memorial Handicap in 2008 to honor the

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

Bill Hartack William John Hartack Jr. (December 9, 1932 – November 26, 2007), born in Colver, Pennsylvania, was a Hall of Fame jockey. Colver is in the northwestern part of Cambria Township, 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Ebensburg, the county seat. ...

who died in November 2007. Hartack won the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

fives times: 1957 on Iron Liege, 1960 on Venetian Way, 1962 on Decidedly, 1964 on Northern Dancer, and 1969 on Majestic Prince. (In 2000, 2001 and 2002, the race was held at Sportsman's Park Racetrack in Cicero, Illinois.)

Past winners

* 2008 - Ryan's for Real (Erick Rodriguez)

Winners as the National Jockey Club Handicap (partial list)

* 2007 - Master Command (

John R. Velazquez John R. Velazquez (born November 24, 1971) is a Puerto Rican jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. He began his career in Puerto Rico and moved to New York in 1990. In 2004 and 2005 he was the United States Champion Jockey by earnings and both y ...

) * 2006 - Three Hour Nap (Francisco Torres) * 2005 - Pollard's Vision ( John Velazquez) * 2004 - Ten Most Wanted ( David Flores) * 2003 - Fight for Ally * 2002 - Hail the Chief ( Jorge Chavez) * 2001 - Chicago Six * 2000 - Take Note of Me * 1999 - Baytown * 1947 - Take Wing

References

{{Reflist Horse races in Illinois Graded stakes races in the United States Open mile category horse races Hawthorne Race Course