Horse racing, historically known as the “Sport of Kings,” has not always been the most welcoming arena for women. For much of the sport’s history, women were largely sidelined as spectators or confined to roles like owners and breeders rather than active competitors. However, over the years, numerous women have broken barriers and made significant impacts as jockeys, trainers, and owners. These trailblazers opened doors and proved that talent and tenacity — not gender — are what count in horse racing. Here are a few of the influential women who have left an indelible mark on American horse racing:
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Diane Crump (Pioneering Jockey): In 1969, Diane Crump became the first female jockey to ride in a pari-mutuel Thoroughbred race in the United States. Facing jeers and even threats from some who believed women didn’t belong on the racetrack, Crump demonstrated remarkable courage. She needed a police escort through the hostile crowd for her first race at Hialeah Park, but once on horseback, she let her skills speak for themselves, finishing fifth and silencing many critics. The following year, in 1970, Crump made history again as the first woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby. Although she didn’t win (finishing 15th on a longshot named Fathom), her participation shattered a major glass ceiling in the sport. Diane Crump went on to win over 230 races in her career. Her grit and determination paved the way for other women jockeys, proving that they could compete alongside men.
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Julie Krone (Hall of Fame Jockey): Julie Krone took the torch from pioneers like Crump and carried it to unprecedented heights. In 1993, she became the first (and still only) female jockey to win a Triple Crown race, guiding Colonial Affair to victory in the Belmont Stakes. Standing just 4’10”, Krone was a powerhouse in the saddle, known for her aggressive yet tactically smart riding style. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, she amassed over 3,700 wins, regularly ranking among the top jockeys in the country regardless of gender. In 2000, Julie Krone became the first woman inducted into the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame, cementing her status as one of the all-time greats. She also won a Breeders’ Cup race in 2003, coming out of retirement briefly to do so. Krone’s success proved beyond a doubt that women can not only participate in top-level horse racing, they can dominate. Her legacy continues to inspire young female riders around the world.
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Rosie Napravnik (Top Jockey of the 2010s): In more recent years, Rosie Napravnik emerged as a leading jockey and helped normalize seeing women at the top of the sport. Napravnik burst onto the scene by winning the riding title (most wins) at the Fair Grounds Race Course meet in 2011, and she continued to pile up accomplishments. She became the first woman jockey to win the Kentucky Oaks (the Derby’s sister race for fillies) in 2012 with Believe You Can, and then won it again in 2014 with Untapable. Rosie rode in the Kentucky Derby twice, finishing a remarkable 5th in 2013 aboard Mylute — the highest finish for a female rider in Derby history. She also won multiple Breeders’ Cup races (Juvenile and Distaff) in her career. By 2014, Napravnik was at the pinnacle of success, regularly among the top earners nationally. That year, right after winning the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, she surprised many by announcing her retirement to start a family. In a relatively short career, she had accumulated over 1,800 wins. Rosie’s confident, professional approach and her high-profile victories further solidified the place of women in racing’s elite ranks. She showed that a female jockey could be trusted with the best horses in the biggest races — and deliver wins.
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Penny Chenery (Owner of Secretariat): Not all trailblazers in racing are in the saddle. Helen “Penny” Chenery is a name that commands great respect, as the woman behind one of racing’s greatest legends: Secretariat. In the early 1970s, Penny Chenery took over her ailing father’s Meadow Stable at a time when few women were making executive decisions in the sport. She navigated the male-dominated world of breeding and racing with savvy and determination. Under her guidance, Meadow Stable produced Riva Ridge, the 1972 Kentucky Derby and Belmont winner, and the following year, Secretariat, who swept the 1973 Triple Crown and became an American sports icon. Penny Chenery’s business acumen was evident in how she syndicated Secretariat for a then-record $6 million breeding deal to secure the farm’s finances. She became a public figure during Secretariat’s Triple Crown run, charming the media and fans with her graciousness and intelligence, thus becoming a role model for women in the sport. After Secretariat, she didn’t rest on her laurels; she continued to be an ambassador for racing, serving as president of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and helping found the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. Penny’s role in the sport demonstrated that women could be successful owners and industry leaders, guiding champions from behind the scenes.
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Linda Rice (Trailblazing Trainer): Training racehorses has traditionally been a male bastion, but Linda Rice has made significant strides in breaking that barrier. In 2009, Rice became the first woman to win the training title at Saratoga Race Course, one of the most competitive meets in the country. That was a landmark achievement – Saratoga is often dominated by powerhouse male trainers with large stables, and Rice upended expectations with strategic placement of her horses and an uncanny knack, especially with sprinters. She is also known for being the first (and as of mid-2020s, only) woman trainer to win a Grade 1 race at the prestigious Keeneland track (with Persian Punch in 1996). Linda Rice has trained multiple graded stakes winners, including champions like La Verdad and City Zip. Her success has opened doors for other women trainers or aspiring trainers to be taken seriously. While women have yet to win a Triple Crown race or Breeders’ Cup as a trainer, Rice’s prominence in New York racing shows that a skilled trainer is a skilled trainer, gender aside. The number of female trainers has grown over time, with figures like Kathleen O’Connell, Jenine Sahadi (first woman to train a Breeders’ Cup winner in 1996), and others also making significant impacts. Linda Rice’s ongoing success in a highly competitive field demonstrates how far things have come.
These women — and many others, like jockeys Chantal Sutherland and Emma-Jayne Wilson, trainer Kathy Ritvo (first woman to train a Breeders’ Cup Classic winner), and executives like Belinda Stronach (chairperson of a major racing group) — have collectively changed the face of horse racing. Each had to overcome doubts and barriers in a sport that wasn’t initially designed for them to participate equally. Their achievements not only advanced gender equality in racing but also enriched the sport itself, proving that talent can come from anywhere. Today, when you see a female jockey win a stakes race or a woman trainer lead over a Derby contender, it might seem almost routine — that’s the ultimate testament to these trailblazers, that their paths are now being followed without the same level of shock or resistance. The Sport of Kings is also a sport of Queens, and it’s a better sport for it.