Top Jockeys: Krone and Napravnik

 

It cannot be disputed that Julie Krone and Rosie Napravnik were the two best female jockeys in the history of thoroughbred racing. Krone set the standard and Napravnik followed closely after; together they kept a woman high in the ranks of the nation’s best riders for over 30 years.

Krone began her career in 1981 with her first victory coming at Tampa Bay Downs on a horse named Lord Farkle. Her first graded stakes win was in the 1983 Woodlawn Stakes (G3) at Pimlico Race Course aboard Disarco’s Rib. In 1988 Krone got her first grade one victory in the Flower Bowl at Belmont Park riding Gaily Gaily. The native of Michigan competed with the very best as she won riding titles at Atlantic City Race Course, Belmont Park, Gulfstream Park, Monmouth Park, and the Meadowlands.

Career highlights for Krone included her win in the 1993 Belmont Stakes aboard Colonial Affair, when she became the first woman to win a Triple Crown race. Krone retired from riding in 1999 for the first time and was elected to Racing’s Hall of Fame in 2000. A comeback began in 2002 and in 2003 she took the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with Halfbridled.

Krone Career Stats:

Years: 22

Mounts: 21,412

Firsts: 3,704 (17.3%)

Seconds: 3,261

Thirds: 2,913

Earnings: $90,126,584

Earnings per start: $4,209

Triple Crown: 1^st 1993 Belmont Stakes, 2^nd 1995 Belmont

Breeders’ Cup: 1-2-1

Krone’s last full season was in 2003, a year in which she won over $8,000,000 in purses. Racing fans did not have long to wait for the next great woman rider, as Napravnik began her career in 2005.

In that year, Napravnik got her first win at Pimlico aboard Ringofdiamonds. Her first graded stakes victory was at Aqueduct in the 2010 Cicada (G3) on Liam’s Dream. King David was her first grade one winner in the 2012 Jamaica Handicap at Belmont Park. The New Jersey native was the leading rider at Keeneland in 2013 and 2014 and at the Fair Grounds the past four years.

Napravnik became the first woman to win the Kentucky Oaks (G1) with Believe You Can in 2012. She, of course, won the Oaks again this year with Untapable. In the Breeders’ Cup Rosie won twice, first with Shanghai Bobby in the 2012 Juvenile and then in the 2014 Distaff with Untapable.

Napravnik Career Stats:

Years: 10

Mounts: 9,715

Firsts: 1,878 (19.3%)

Seconds: 1,636

Thirds: 1,432

Earnings: $71,436,887

Earnings per start: $7,353

Triple Crown: 3^rd 2013 Preakness

Breeders’ Cup: 2-2-0