Ira “Babe” Hanford, oldest Derby-winning jockey, dies in Florida at age 91; won in 1936

Oldest Derby-winning jockey Hanford dies at 91

OCALA, Fla. — Ira “Babe” Hanford, who rode Bold Venture to a stunning victory in the 1936 Kentucky Derby, has died. He was 91.

Virginia Hanford says her husband of 67 years passed away last Saturday in Ocala following a lengthy illness.

Hanford was an 18-year-old apprentice jockey when he pulled the upset aboard Bold Venture, who went off as a 20-to-1 long shot. Hanford did not get a chance to run in the Preakness aboard the 3-year-old horse, however, because racing officials suspended him for 15 days following the Derby. Hanford said officials never told him why he was suspended.

Hanford retired in 1953 without ever running in another Derby. He is one of 22 jockeys to win the Run for the Roses in their only appearance.

During an interview with The Associated Press in 2006, Hanford said officials never told him why he and two other jockeys were suspended following the race, but figured it had to do with the rugged nature of the sport at the time.

“I’ve always assumed it was for knocking down a horse,” Hanford said. “I heard a few years ago that I was suspended for crossing over somewhere on the backside.”

Back then, the starting gate didn’t have front or rear doors to lock the horses in a somewhat uniform line. They were led in and stood there until a bell rang.

Hanford looked to his right and saw Bien Joli standing at an angle and about a neck in front of him and Bold Venture. He called out to jockey Lester Balaski to straighten his horse.

“I didn’t get horse out of the mouth and the bell rang,” said Hanford, who as an apprentice got to carry less weight than senior riders. “When he made the first or second jump out of the gate, he hit me and turned me almost sideways.”

Hanford and Bold Venture careened to the left and into Granville, knocking jockey Jimmy Stout to the ground.

“That was a helluva bump that I got and so did he,” Hanford said. “Bold Venture got a going over leaving the gate as bad as anybody, but he was very agile and he collected himself good. By the time I got to the first turn, he was maybe six or seven lengths off the lead.”

Bold Venture’s trainer Max Hirsch replaced Hanford with George Woolfe for the Preakness, which the horse won. Bold Venture did not run in the Belmont.

Hanford is survived by his wife Virginia and older brother Carl, who trained five-time Horse of the Year Kelso.

“It’s something that once you win, it never gets taken away,” Virginia Hanford said in a telephone interview on Wednesday. “It’s something that he always held very close to him.”