Julie Krone
Encyclopedia
Julie Krone is a retired American
jockey
. In 1993, she became the first female jockey to win a Triple Crown
race when she captured the Belmont Stakes
aboard Colonial Affair
. In 2000 she became the first woman inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
.
Julie Krone appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated
for the issue of May 22, 1989. She is one of only eight jockeys so recognized (the others are Willie Shoemaker
, Bill Hartack
, Eddie Arcaro
, Johnny Longden
, John Sellers, Robyn Smith and Steve Cauthen
). Krone also was the only woman to win riding championships at Belmont Park
, Gulfstream Park
, Monmouth Park, The Meadowlands
and Atlantic City Race Course
.
Krone retired for the first time on April 18, 1999, with a three-winner day at Lone Star Park
, near Dallas. She embarked upon a broadcasting career in horse racing. From 1999–2000 she worked as an analyst for TVG Network
, then worked as a paddock analyst for Hollywood Park from 1999–2002. She came out of retirement at Santa Anita Park
in November 2002. After a good start to the 2003 season, she fractured two bones in her lower back and spent the next four months recovering. She returned to lead the 2003 Del Mar jockeys in purse earnings, then went on to become the first woman jockey to win a Breeders' Cup
race when she rode Halfbridled
to victory in the 2003 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
at Santa Anita. On December 12, 2003, just weeks after her Breeders' Cup win, she broke several ribs and suffered severe muscle tears in a fall at Hollywood Park Racetrack. Though not fully recovered from her injuries, Krone attempted to come back on February 14, 2004, at Santa Anita Park, but failed to win in three races. She did not ride again; on July 8 of that year, she made a statement in which she did not officially retire, but strongly hinted that she would never race again.
Krone is married to Jay Hovdey, an executive columnist for the Daily Racing Form
. She gave birth to their daughter Lorelei Judith Krone on September 27, 2005. (Hovdey also has a son, Ed, from his previous marriage.) Some other relatives which Krone stays close with are her brother Donnie Krone, father Don Krone, and nephew Danny Kauffman. Her mother, Judi Krone, was an accomplished equestrian who died a few days before Christmas of 1999.
Apart from motherhood, Krone's second retirement from riding has been occupied as a racing broadcaster, a motivational speaker, and an instructor in the discipline of natural horsemanship
. Krone made a brief "comeback" of sorts in a sanctioned betting race at Santa Anita Park on October 18, 2008, while competing against seven other retired Hall of Fame jockeys: Gary Stevens
, Pat Day
, Chris McCarron
, Jerry Bailey
, Angel Cordero, Jacinto Vasquez
and Sandy Hawley
. Krone also rode to victory on Invincible Hero in a high profile race for ex-flat jockeys at the world-renowned St Leger Festival, Doncaster Racecourse
(UK), on 7th September 2011.
Krone has an autobiography entitled Riding for My Life
, which also serves as the basis for the upcoming feature film on Julie's life, entitled The Boys Club (formerly Freak). The screenplay was written by award-winning filmmaker Katherine Brooks
, and will be produced by Sophie Watts of Gravity Films and executive produced by former studio executive John Manulis (Basketball Diaries, Foxfire).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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:...
. In 1993, she became the first female jockey to win a Triple Crown
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
race when she captured the Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
aboard Colonial Affair
Colonial Affair
Colonial Affair is an American thoroughbred stallion racehorse....
. In 2000 she became the first woman inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
.
Julie Krone appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
for the issue of May 22, 1989. She is one of only eight jockeys so recognized (the others are Willie Shoemaker
Willie Shoemaker
William Lee Shoemaker was an American jockey.Referred to as "Bill", "Willie," and "The Shoe", William Lee Shoemaker was born in the town of Fabens, Texas. At 2.5 pounds , Shoemaker was so small at birth that he was not expected to survive the night...
, Bill Hartack
Bill Hartack
William John Hartack Jr. was a Hall of Fame jockey. He was born in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania.Referred to by the media as both "Bill" and "Willie" during his racing career, Hartack grew up on his widowed father's farm in the Blacklick...
, Eddie Arcaro
Eddie Arcaro
George Edward Arcaro , known professionally as Eddie Arcaro, was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who won more American classic races than any other jockey in history and is the only rider to have won the U.S. Triple Crown twice...
, Johnny Longden
Johnny Longden
John Eric Longden was an American Hall of Fame jockey. He was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire, England but his father wanted to build a better life for his family so in 1909 emigrated to Canada, settling in Taber, Alberta. By 1912 Longden Sr. had saved enough money to send for his wife and young son...
, John Sellers, Robyn Smith and Steve Cauthen
Steve Cauthen
Steve Cauthen is a retired American jockey.Cauthen, the son of a trainer and a farrier, grew up in Walton, Kentucky around horses, which made race-riding a logical career choice. He rode his first race on May 12, 1976 at Churchill Downs; he finished last, riding King of Swat...
). Krone also was the only woman to win riding championships at Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
, Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino is a racetrack and county-approved racino in Hallandale Beach, Florida, in the United States. During its annual meet, which spans December through April, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in America....
, Monmouth Park, The Meadowlands
Meadowlands Racetrack
The Meadowlands Racetrack is a horse racing track at the MetLife Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States.The track hosts both thoroughbred racing and harness racing...
and Atlantic City Race Course
Atlantic City Race Course
The Atlantic City Race Course , formerly the Atlantic City Race Track, is a thoroughbred horse race track located in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township, in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The track is located off the Black Horse Pike next to the Hamilton Mall...
.
Krone retired for the first time on April 18, 1999, with a three-winner day at Lone Star Park
Lone Star Park
Lone Star Park is a horse racing track located in Grand Prairie, Texas.-History:Lone Star Park opened in 1997. The track offers separate meets for Thoroughbred racing and Quarter Horse racing. In October 2002, Magna Entertainment Corp. , based in Aurora, Ontario, leased the facility and acquired...
, near Dallas. She embarked upon a broadcasting career in horse racing. From 1999–2000 she worked as an analyst for TVG Network
TVG Network
TVG Network is an American specialty channel dedicated to horse racing. The company broadcasts from Los Angeles, California and is available in the United States on Dish Network and DirecTV as well as select cable companies...
, then worked as a paddock analyst for Hollywood Park from 1999–2002. She came out of retirement at Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park is a thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent racing events in the United States during the winter and in spring. With its backdrop of the purple San Gabriel Mountains, it is considered by many as the world's most beautiful race...
in November 2002. After a good start to the 2003 season, she fractured two bones in her lower back and spent the next four months recovering. She returned to lead the 2003 Del Mar jockeys in purse earnings, then went on to become the first woman jockey to win a Breeders' Cup
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Thoroughbred horse races, most but not all Grade I, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, it expanded to two days. The location...
race when she rode Halfbridled
Halfbridled
Halfbridled is a dark bay or brown Thoroughbred filly bred by Wertheimer et Frere of France.Following a victorious debut in a Maiden Special Weight race at Del Mar Racetrack, Halfbridled contested the Grade I Del Mar Debutante Stakes where she defeated five opponents including Hollywood Story and...
to victory in the 2003 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies is a 1 1/16-mile thoroughbred horse race on dirt for two-year-old fillies run annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships.-Automatic Berths:Beginning in 2007, the Breeders' Cup...
at Santa Anita. On December 12, 2003, just weeks after her Breeders' Cup win, she broke several ribs and suffered severe muscle tears in a fall at Hollywood Park Racetrack. Though not fully recovered from her injuries, Krone attempted to come back on February 14, 2004, at Santa Anita Park, but failed to win in three races. She did not ride again; on July 8 of that year, she made a statement in which she did not officially retire, but strongly hinted that she would never race again.
Krone is married to Jay Hovdey, an executive columnist for the Daily Racing Form
Daily Racing Form
The Daily Racing Form is a tabloid newspaper founded in 1894 in Chicago, Illinois by Frank Brunell. The paper publishes the past performances of race horses as a statistical service for bettors on horse racing in the United States....
. She gave birth to their daughter Lorelei Judith Krone on September 27, 2005. (Hovdey also has a son, Ed, from his previous marriage.) Some other relatives which Krone stays close with are her brother Donnie Krone, father Don Krone, and nephew Danny Kauffman. Her mother, Judi Krone, was an accomplished equestrian who died a few days before Christmas of 1999.
Apart from motherhood, Krone's second retirement from riding has been occupied as a racing broadcaster, a motivational speaker, and an instructor in the discipline of natural horsemanship
Natural horsemanship
Natural horsemanship is the philosophy of working with horses by appealing to their instincts and herd instincts. It involves communication techniques derived from wild horse observation in order to build a partnership that closely resembles the relationships that exist between horses.- Basic ideas...
. Krone made a brief "comeback" of sorts in a sanctioned betting race at Santa Anita Park on October 18, 2008, while competing against seven other retired Hall of Fame jockeys: Gary Stevens
Gary Stevens (jockey)
Gary Lynn Stevens is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey, television personality and sports anchor who works for both HRTV and NBC Sports as a horse racing analyst....
, Pat Day
Pat Day
Patrick Alan "Pat" Day is an American jockey. He is a four-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1991...
, Chris McCarron
Chris McCarron
Christopher John "Chris" McCarron is a retired American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey. He is currently working as a racing analyst for TVG Network....
, Jerry Bailey
Jerry Bailey
Jerry D. Bailey is a retired American Hall of Fame jockey. He began his racing career in November 1974. His first mount was on a horse named Pegged Rate, who ran off the board. He notched his first career win the next day on his second career mount, Fetch, at New Mexico's Sunland Park, and has...
, Angel Cordero, Jacinto Vasquez
Jacinto Vásquez
Jacinto Vásquez is a retired Hall of Fame thoroughbred jockey. He rode two Kentucky Derby winners, Foolish Pleasure in 1975 and Genuine Risk in 1980, but may be best known as the regular jockey for the great filly Ruffian.-Biography:...
and Sandy Hawley
Sandy Hawley
Desmond Sanford "Sandy" Hawley, CM is a Hall of Fame jockey.Sandy Hawley started out as a plumber then later decided to be a jockey. He started his career as a jockey when he was a 17-year-old boy, hotwalking horses at a Toronto racetrack...
. Krone also rode to victory on Invincible Hero in a high profile race for ex-flat jockeys at the world-renowned St Leger Festival, Doncaster Racecourse
Doncaster Racecourse
Doncaster Racecourse is a racecourse in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It hosts two of Great Britain's 31 Group 1 flat races, the St Leger Stakes and the Racing Post Trophy.- History :...
(UK), on 7th September 2011.
Krone has an autobiography entitled Riding for My Life
Riding for My Life
Riding for My Life is an autobiography by horse-racing jockey Julie Krone, with Nancy Richardson. It serves as part of the basis for the upcoming film The Boys Club.-Film Adaptation:...
, which also serves as the basis for the upcoming feature film on Julie's life, entitled The Boys Club (formerly Freak). The screenplay was written by award-winning filmmaker Katherine Brooks
Katherine Brooks
Katherine Brooks is an American film writer and director. Brooks dropped out of high school at the age of 16 and ran away from her hometown to Hollywood, with dreams to pursue a career in television and film-making....
, and will be produced by Sophie Watts of Gravity Films and executive produced by former studio executive John Manulis (Basketball Diaries, Foxfire).
General
- Miller, Mark. Julie Krone, Salon, December 19, 2000
- Julie Krone at the United States' National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
- Callahan, Dorothy M. Julie Krone: A Winning Jockey (1990) Dillon Press ISBN 978-0875184258