William L. Passmore was a 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 trainer

Horse trainer

In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...

 in both flat

Flat racing

Flat racing is a form of Thoroughbred horse racing which is run over a level track at a predetermined distance. It differs from steeplechase racing which is run over hurdles...

 and 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...

 Thoroughbred horse racing. He rode horses professionally from the late 1920s until about 1946 when he took up training.

During his career he conditioned horses for prominent owners such as John Sanford

John Sanford (1851)

John Sanford was an American businessman, a prominent owner/breeder of Thoroughbred racehorses, and a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York's 20th congressional district.-Early life:...

, Deborah Rood, Morris Dixon and Bayard Sharp. As a trainer, among his important flat racing wins was the 1948 Monmouth Handicap

Philip H. Iselin Handicap

The Philip H. Iselin Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. Open to horses three years of age and older, the race was first run in 1884...

. In 1952 he trained the colt Hannibal for Sharp with whom he finished eighth in 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...

.

Passmore retired in 1963 and was inducted into the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame

Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame

The Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame is a membership-based organization founded in 1976. The organization runs a museum with exhibits at Daniel S...

 in 1992. He died in 2002 at age 92 near Seaford, Delaware

Seaford, Delaware

Seaford is a city located along the Nanticoke River in Sussex County, Delaware. According to the 2010 Census Bureau figures, the population of the city is 6,928, an increase of 3.4% from the 2000 census...

. His son, William J. Passmore

William J. Passmore

William J. "Bill" Passmore, Sr. 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,...

, had a successful career as a jockey and has served as a steward at racetracks in Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

. Daughter Patricia Passmore married Eclipse Award

Eclipse Award

The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...

 winning jockey, Darrel McHargue

Darrel McHargue

Darrel G. McHargue is a retired American Champion jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. One of five children from a family not connected to horse racing, he was first introduced to riding as a teeneage boy when he rode a neighbor's Quarter Horse...

.