When the horse Arcangelo crossed the finish line triumphant in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets on June 10, 2023, trainer Jena Antonucci achieved a monumental victory, becoming the initial woman to prepare a winner in a U.S. Triple Crown event. This triumph felt particularly apt as the sport recognized the 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s Triple Crown, owned by Penny Chenery, a groundbreaking figure in her own right.
Arcangelo’s success also echoed another significant moment in the very same competition at the same venue three decades prior, when jockey Julie Krone piloted Colonial Affair to a 2¼-length win.
A decade after her Belmont Stakes triumph, Krone returned to competitive riding for a final year in 2003, a period where this jockey leveraged her extensive career knowledge to create a remarkable conclusion to her illustrious Hall of Fame journey.
Reclaiming Her Edge
Horse racing inherently involves fluctuating fortunes, a reality well-understood by those who commit their lives to it. For Krone, 1993 brought numerous accomplishments, including that pivotal classic victory aboard Colonial Affair, yet also major setbacks. A fall at Saratoga later that summer inflicted multiple injuries, among them a bruised heart, a fractured ankle, and a punctured elbow. Another incident within two weeks of her return in 1995 left her shaken and hesitant. By the time she stepped away in 1999, she had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) and was ready to explore new avenues.
“You cannot talk somebody into doing something that is dangerous, and you cannot talk them out of it either. It’s literally a switch. It just clicks off or on,” the Hall of Famer reflected on that juncture in her professional life. “I just really didn’t want to ride anymore,”
Her retirement years saw her engaging in broadcasting for TVG and Hollywood Park, along with marrying longtime equestrian journalist and writer Jay Hovdey. Her time on air, observing and analyzing the California racing scene, especially its formidable jockey community, led the Hall of Famer to a profound realization.
“I was talking about these jockeys and watching these races, paying attention to what was going on, and then I realized I could beat these guys,” Krone said.
“I was watching the races every day and I just became competitive again. It just kind of happened. I didn’t really even think about it.”
Thus, a return to racing commenced.
Resuming Her Riding Career
Krone approached her reintegration into the sport deliberately. In her mid-thirties, the Hall of Famer was intentional and systematic in her re-entry. She spent a year galloping horses in the mornings to ensure her readiness, both mentally and physically, for afternoon competitions. In November 2002, she emerged from retirement at Santa Anita Park, securing fourth place on Justly Royal in her inaugural race back, and then achieved her first victory of this new chapter six days later. Julie Krone was actively competing once more.
The dawn of the new year presented Krone opportunities reminiscent of her earlier periods on the East Coast. She felt a heightened assurance in her abilities, as the sabbatical had provided her the chance to refine the innate horsemanship she had cultivated since her earliest days.
“I rounded them out a bit more and actually became a better horseman,” she said. “I think that contributed to my success that year.”
She secured mounts from esteemed trainers such as Ron McAnally and Richard Mandella, riding horses like Sweet Return, who claimed the 2003 Grade 1 Hollywood Derby; Siphonizer, who triumphed in the Grade 2 Del Mar Futurity; and Halfbridled, a filly sired by the 1990 Kentucky Derby winner, Unbridled. With this particular filly, Krone accomplished yet another significant feat.
Krone gained the chance to partner with Halfbridled thanks to Mandella’s assistant trainer Becky Witzman, who placed the Hall of Famer aboard the sensitive young thoroughbred. She collaborated with Halfbridled during morning workouts, familiarizing herself with the filly’s distinct characteristics as Mandella prepared the future champion for her maiden appearance. This earned Krone the opportunity to ride Halfbridled throughout her 2-year-old season, guiding her to victories in her debut, the Del Mar Debutante, and the Oak Leaf Stakes.
“She had huge, gigantic strides and tactical gears like I could do anything I wanted with her,” she remembered. “I got to ride her almost like an older horse. We could do anything we wanted with her.”
Those three consecutive wins secured Halfbridled a starting position in the 2003 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita Park, a familiar track for the gifted filly. She encountered a full lineup of 14 competitors in that race, having drawn the outermost gate. Krone understood they faced a formidable test, as Halfbridled preferred to run just off the pace but would need to break sharply to secure an early advantageous position.
“At the half-mile pole, I heard a couple of jockeys start to chirp already, but she just started to relax like, ‘Let me know when you need me,’ ” Krone recalled. “She’s throwing her ears back and up in the middle of the race and heard more jockeys chirp and I had to start going, ‘Oh, easy’ like I did in the mornings, telling her it wasn’t time yet.
“Once she relaxed like that, it wasn’t like she needed encouragement to get going.”
Halfbridled then seized the lead in the homestretch and surged ahead to a 2 ½-length victory, marking Krone’s initial Breeders’ Cup win, 15 years after she became the first woman to compete in the year-end championship event.
Much like Penny Chenery before her, and Jena Antonucci following her, each of Krone’s career highlights stemmed from her diligent effort and unwavering confidence in her own capabilities. It was this steadfastness and persistence that placed her perfectly for another significant accomplishment.
Reflecting on a Memorable Campaign
That 2003 period not only afforded Krone the chance to ride Halfbridled, who would be crowned champion 2-year-old filly based on her perfect record, but also to ride Candy Ride in his ultimate career race, the Grade 1 Pacific Classic Stakes at Del Mar, which he won by 3 ¼ lengths in a course-record time of 1:59.11 for 1 ¼ miles. “He was like a ‘My Little Pony,’ ” she recounted about the Argentine import, who later sired champions Gun Runner and Game Winner. “Every hair was in place. He was perfect. It was just such a wonderful win and on such an iconic horse.”
However, the triumphs of 2003 were accompanied by a single downturn that made Krone contemplate stepping out of the saddle once more. A December fall, occurring mere weeks after her landmark victory on Halfbridled, left the Hall of Famer with fractured ribs and muscle tears. She resumed riding after nearly eight weeks of recovery but concluded that another comeback was not her path. Although she never officially declared retirement again, Krone has since dedicated herself to motivational speaking and teaching natural horsemanship following those final rides at Santa Anita Park, alongside raising her daughter, Lorelei, with Hovdey.
Looking back at that golden era, with Halfbridled and her Breeders’ Cup win, Candy Ride and his Pacific Classic, among other achievements, Krone finds it challenging to select a singular highlight. Instead, she contemplated the entire experience as the grand finale of a Hall of Fame career.
“One single thing would not make the whole thing, but collectively, that’s the story. It’s not one race, but doing it every day,” Krone reflected.
“But in my whole career, in my whole life, to do it the best that I’ve ever done it on some of the best horses I’ve ever done it on, and to compete against some of the best jockeys, that’s the story for me.”
