[1] 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 Race Course in Queens, New York.
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 regularly rode for King T. Leatherbury, Jim McKay, and Art Rooney.
[2] 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.
[2] Passmore was leery of accepting betting suggestions from jockeys who he characterized as "the worst touts at the track.