Julie Krone to be given Laffit Pincay Jr. Award

DEL MAR, Calif. – Hall of Fame jockey Julie Krone has been named the 16th winner of the Laffit Pincay Jr. Award, which honors those who have served racing with “integrity, extraordinary dedication, determination and distinction,” it was announced by Del Mar on Saturday.

Krone will be presented with the award by the award’s namesake, a fellow Hall of Famer, at Del Mar on Aug. 17, the day of the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic. Krone won the Pacific Classic in 2003 on Candy Ride.

“Julie Krone fits the criterion for this award perfectly,” Pincay said in a press release. “She broke barriers in our game by showing again and again that skill and determination are the real keys to being a success when it comes to riding horses. And she has gone on to represent racing in a positive light on many occasions. She richly deserves this award.”

Krone, who won 3,704 races in North America, is the only female rider in the Hall of Fame. She is the only female rider to win the Belmont Stakes, and was the first female rider to win a Breeders’ Cup race. She won riding titles at Monmouth Park, the Meadowlands, Belmont Park, and Gulfstream. This summer, she is overseeing a junior jockey camp in upstate New York for youths ages 12 through 17.

“This is one of those moments when you shake your head and are just so grateful to be honored with an industry award that bears the name of Laffit Pincay,” Krone said. “Every jockey who rode with him was better for the experience, and everything about Laffit has brought nothing but credit to the sport.”

Krone lives 11 miles north of Del Mar in Carlsbad, Calif., with her husband, Jay Hovdey, the former executive columnist with Daily Racing Form, and their daughter, Lorelei. She also is the stepmother to a son, Ed. A book that Hovdey wrote about his wife and that focuses on the Pacific Classic victory aboard Candy Ride, called “One Sweet Ride,” will be unveiled on Aug. 17.