Pregnant jockey wins $2M Distaff
ARCADIA, Calif. — Untapable polished off an impressive year with a 1 1/4-length victory Friday in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, with a pregnant Rosie Napravnik becoming the first female jockey to win the $2-million race in its 31-year history.
Napravnik stunned the crowd of 37,205 at Santa Anita and a national-television audience by announcing she will retire Sunday. The 26-year-old jockey said she and husband Joe Sharp, who is a trainer, are starting a family. Later, she confirmed she is seven weeks pregnant.
“His career is brand new and thriving,” Napravnik said. “It’s kind of good timing. He’s going to step into the limelight, and I’m going to step out.”
Napravnik has four mounts from the nine Breeders’ Cup races today.
She had planned to tell her mother about her pregnancy at dinner Friday night and announce the news publicly after Saturday’s races, but changed her mind when she won on the 3-yearold filly.
Napravnik won her first race in June 2005 and became the first woman to win the Kentucky Oaks with Believe You Can in 2012. She and Untapable teamed to win the Oaks in May. Napravnik joined Julie Krone as the only female riders to win a Cup race.
Napravnik’s best finish in a Triple Crown race was third in the 2013 Preakness with Mylute.
Napravnik, who finished second aboard Tapiture in the $1 million Dirt Mile earlier, didn’t rule out a return to the saddle someday.
“It’s indefinite. I’m not thinking about a comeback in 10 months,” she said, adding, “I can’t promise to stay off a horse forever.”
Untapable ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.68 and paid $5.20, $3.40 and $2.60 as the 8-5 favorite in the field of 11.
Don’t Tell Sophia returned $4.60 and $3.40, while Iotapa was another nose back in third and paid $4 to show.
Napravnik pumped her right hand after crossing the finish line, having secured her second career Breeders’ Cup victory. She won the 2012 Juvenile with Shanghai Bobby.
It was the fifth Cup win for trainer Steve Asmussen, and his biggest since winning the $5 million Classic with Curlin in 2007.
“Rosie and she are a great combination, and they have had a tremendous season,” Asmussen said. “She’s an amazing mare to put us on this stage and to perform like she did.”
Asmussen also trains Tapiture, who lost his race by 1 1/4 lengths.
Untapable lugged in on Iotapa on the rail in the stretch, but the stewards did not post the inquiry sign.
It was Untapable’s fourth Grade 1 win of the year. The path to the winner’s circle was made clearer when Beholder didn’t defend her title after she spiked a fever recently.
Trainer Wesley Ward had a victory and two second- place finishes on opening day of the world championships. But he wasn’t present, having stayed home in Florida to spend time with his children. He won the $1 million Juvenile Turf with Hootenanny, with his Luck of the Kitten finishing second. Ward also was second with Sunset Glow in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Goldencents successfully defended his title in the $1 million Dirt Mile, winning by 1 1/4 lengths despite tiring in the stretch. He is headed to retirement, where he will stand stud duty at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky.
Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, Goldencents ran
one mile in 1:35.16 and paid $3.40, $2.60 and $2.10 as the 3-5 favorite on Friday at Santa Anita. It was Bejarano’s fifth Breeders’ Cup victory and the first for Leandro Mora, who became the trainer of record after his boss, Doug O’Neill, was banned by the Breeders’ Cup because of medication violations.
“I know I have experience, but I miss my leader,” Mora said. “They know we did nothing wrong, so that’s what makes a big difference in the friendship between the owners and the trainer.”
Tapiture returned $3.80 and $3, while Pants On Fire was another five lengths back in third and paid $4 to show.
Goldencents dueled with Vicar’s In Trouble early in the race before Goldencents gained a comfortable lead. He eventually drifted out toward the middle of the track as Tapiture and Napravnik gave chase through the stretch.
Vicar’s In Trouble was vanned off after the race with a minor left front foot injury, according to an on-call veterinarian.
Lady Eli won the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf by 2 3/4 lengths as the 2-1 favorite.
Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. earned his first Cup victory, guiding Lady Eli over one mile in 1:33.41. She paid $6.80, $4.20 and $3 while improving to 3-0 in her young career.
Sunset Glow returned $5.20 and $3.40. Ireland-bred Osaila was another 2 1/4 lengths back in third and paid $3.60 to show.
It was the third Breeders’ Cup win for trainer Chad Brown, and his second in the race. He saddled three other horses in the field that was reduced to 13 after Lady Zuzu was scratched at the starting gate. She lacerated her right hind end in the gate, but it was not serious, according to an on-call veterinarian.
Hall of Famer Gary Stevens rode his first race since having a right knee replacement in July. The 51-year-old jockey finished fifth aboard Sivoliere in the JF Turf.