First Woman Inducted Into Racing Hall of Fame

Aug. 7 -- Julie Krone will become the first woman ever inducted into thoroughbred racing’s hall of fame today, taking her place among legends in her sport. But she downplays the gender issue, preferring to be called just a jockey who made it.

“I’m extremely happy and I take a lot of pride in being the first female. It’s a big compliment,” she said on the eve of her induction. “But being the first female isn’t what makes it special for me, it’s just the honor of making it to the hall.”

Riding Records

To call Krone, 37, a pioneer would be an understatement. Her 3,545 career wins and $81 million in prize money over 19 seasons are records for women. She was the first woman to win a Triple Crown race when she captured the Belmont Stakes aboard 14-1 shot Colonial Affair in 1993.

She also owns gender-less records. In 1993, she joined good friend Angel Cordero, Jr. and Ron Turcotte as the only jockeys to have won five races in one day at Saratoga Race Course in New York.

And that’s how Krone says she wants to be known: as a good rider. Period.

“I didn’t want to be the best female jockey in the world. I wanted to be the best jockey,” said Krone, who retired last year.

Others agree with her.

“I think most people in racing think of Julie as the first female rider who was a top rider, not just a top female rider,” said Ira Kaplan, an editor of the Daily Racing Form. “I don’t think anyone doubted that she could ride as well as any man.”

Racing Pioneer

Krone credits her late mother, Judi, with getting her involved in horses. It was Judi who climbed into a truck and drove Julie down to Churchill Downs in Kentucky so her daughter could become a jockey.

She even forged her daughter’s birth certificate because Julie, then 15, was too young to be admitted on the grounds at Churchill Downs. “We went to the grocery store, and she put a ‘7’ above the ‘5’ in my age and made a photo copy of it,” Julie recalled.