ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) – Untapable polished off an impressive year with a 1 1/4-length victory Friday in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, making Rosie Napravnik the first female jockey to win the $2 million race in its 31-year history.
Napravnik then stunned the crowd 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, plan to start a family.
She 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.
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.