Rosie Napravnik facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rosie Napravnik
Napravnik at the 2014 Preakness Stakes
Occupation	Jockey
Born	(1988-02-09) February 9, 1988 (age 37) Mendham, New Jersey, US
Career wins	1,877
Major racing wins
American Classics wins: Kentucky Oaks (2012, 2014) Breeders' Cup wins: Breeders' Cup Juvenile (2012) Breeders' Cup Distaff (2014) Graded Stakes wins Grade I Wins Jamaica Handicap (2012) Champagne Stakes (2012) Chandelier Stakes (2013) Secretariat Stakes (2013) Santa Margarita Handicap (2013) Acorn Stakes (2013) Humana Distaff Handicap (2014) Cotillion Handicap (2014) Grade II Wins Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap (2010) Louisiana Derby (2011, 2014) Fair Grounds Oaks (2012, 2014) Peter Pan Stakes (2012) Sanford Stakes (2012) Hopeful Stakes (2012) Matron Stakes (2012) Adirondack Stakes (2012) Alysheba Stakes (2013) Churchill Downs Stakes (2013) Rachel Alexandra Stakes (2013) Lake Placid Stakes (2013) Molly Pitcher Stakes (2013, 2014) Pocahontas Stakes (2012, 2013) Amsterdam Stakes (2014) West Virginia Derby (2014) Super Derby (2014) Grade III wins Pin Oak Valley View Stakes (2010) Lone Star Park Handicap (2010) Cicada Stakes (2010) Pegasus Stakes (2011) Mineshaft Handicap (2011, 2013, 2014) Colonel E.R. Bradley Handicap (2011, 2014) Sanford Stakes (2012) John B. Connally Turf Cup Stakes (2012) Cardinal Handicap (2013) Matchmaker Stakes (2013) Louisville Handicap (2013) Doubledogdare Stakes (2013) Arlington Handicap (2013) Schuylerville Stakes (2013) Stars and Stripes Stakes (2013) Rachel Alexandra Stakes (2013, 2014) Lecomte Stakes (2014) Aristides Stakes (2014) Matt Winn Stakes (2013, 2014) Sycamore Stakes (2014) Listed stakes wins Maryland Million Classic (2006) Private Terms Stakes (2006) Baltimore Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (2006) Jim McKay Turf Sprint Henry S. Clark Stakes (2008) Woodlawn Stakes (2008) Whimsical Stakes (2008) John B. Campbell Handicap (2010) Silverbulletday Stakes (2012) New Orleans Ladies Stakes (2013) Evan Shipman Handicap (2014)
Significant horses
Shanghai Bobby Mylute Termsofengagement Pants on Fire Believe You Can

Anna Rose "Rosie" Napravnik (born February 9, 1988) is a famous former American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. She won the important Kentucky Oaks race twice! Rosie started her career in 2005 and quickly became one of the best jockeys in North America. She was known for winning many races and earning a lot of money. By 2014, she was the top-ranked woman jockey. She was the first woman to win the Kentucky Oaks in 2012, riding a horse named Believe You Can. She won it again in 2014 with Untapable. Rosie is also the first woman jockey to win more than one Breeders' Cup race. She had the best finishes for a woman jockey in the 2013 Kentucky Derby and 2013 Preakness Stakes. She is also the only woman to have ridden in all three Triple Crown races. After winning the 2014 Breeders' Cup Distaff, Rosie announced she was pregnant and would retire from racing. She now helps her husband, Joe Sharp, train racehorses.

Rosie's Early Life and Horse Journey

Rosie Napravnik was born in Mendham, New Jersey, on February 9, 1988. Her family was very involved with horses. Her dad, Charles, was a farrier (someone who cares for horses' hooves). Her mom, Cindy, ran a horse stable and trained horses for eventing. Rosie has an older sister, Jasmine (Jazz), and a brother, Colt.

Rosie started working with horses when she was very young. She even broke her arm falling off a pony at age four! By age seven, she was riding in pony races. After watching a documentary about the Triple Crown races, she decided then that she wanted to be a jockey and ride in those big races.

When she was a teenager, Rosie worked for several horse trainers. At 16, she started working for trainer Richard "Dickie" Small, who was known for helping young women jockeys. Rosie began exercising Small's racehorses in 2004. She left high school early to become a professional jockey but later earned her high school equivalency GED test. Rosie is 5 feet 2 inches tall and rode at about 113 pounds. She also helps find new homes for retired racehorses.

Rosie's Family Life

Joe Sharp, Napravnik, and their sons with Girvin at the Haskell Invitational winner's circle

Rosie Napravnik married Joe Sharp in October 2011. Joe is also very involved with horses; he is a horse trainer. They have two sons together. Joe also has a daughter from a previous relationship.

Joe Sharp grew up around horses, as his father was also a trainer. Joe was a jockey for a short time before becoming an assistant trainer for several years. In 2014, Joe started his own horse training business. Rosie and Joe sometimes competed against each other, but they also worked together. For example, Rosie rode a horse named Vicar's In Trouble, trained by Joe, to win the Louisiana Derby in 2014.

Rosie helps Joe with his training business. She even exercised a horse named Girvin, who later raced in the 2017 Kentucky Derby. Rosie and Joe live in both Louisville, Kentucky, and New Orleans, Louisiana. Besides working with horses, they also help care for rescue dogs.

Rosie's Racing Career Highlights

Rosie got her jockey license in 2005 at Pimlico Race Course. She won her very first race on June 9, 2005, riding a horse named Ringofdiamonds. At first, she used "A.R. Napravnik" to hide that she was a girl.

In November 2005, she broke her left collarbone in a racing accident. Even with injuries, she quickly became a top jockey. In 2006, she finished 30th in national earnings and won 300 races! She won many riding titles at Maryland racetracks that year.

Rosie faced more injuries in 2007 and 2008, including a broken wrist and a broken leg. But she always came back to ride. In 2009, she moved to New York and continued to be a successful jockey.

In 2010, Rosie started riding at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans. At first, she faced tough challenges from male jockeys, but she stood her ground and earned their respect. That year, she won her first important graded stakes race.

Napravnik at the 2011 Kentucky Derby

In 2011, Rosie made history by becoming the first woman to win the Louisiana Derby, riding Pants on Fire. She was also the first woman to be the leading rider at the Fair Grounds track. She then became only the sixth woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby, finishing 9th, which was the best for a woman rider at that time. Later that year, she broke her arm again, needing surgery.

Napravnik riding Midnight Lucky to win the 2014 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs

The year 2012 was huge for Rosie. She became the first woman jockey to win the Kentucky Oaks, riding Believe You Can. This was also her first "Grade I" win, which is the highest level of horse race. She then rode in the Belmont Stakes for the first time. Later, she won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile with Shanghai Bobby, becoming only the second woman to win a Breeders' Cup race, and the first to win more than one! She ended 2012 ranked 8th in national earnings, breaking the record for a female jockey previously held by Julie Krone.

In 2013, Rosie won the leading rider title at the Fair Grounds for the third year in a row. She rode Mylute to a fifth-place finish in the 2013 Kentucky Derby, breaking her own record. She also rode in the Preakness Stakes for the first time, finishing third, which was the highest finish for any woman jockey in that race. By riding in all three Triple Crown races (Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont), she became the first woman ever to do so! That summer, she was also the captain of the "Girls' Team" in a jockey competition in the United Kingdom. In October, she became the first woman to be the leading rider at Keeneland Race Course. She finished 2013 ranked 8th in earnings, breaking her own record again.

Rosie started 2014 by being named the leading rider at the Fair Grounds for the fourth year in a row. She won the Louisiana Derby again with Vicar's In Trouble. She also teamed up with Untapable to win the Rachel Alexandra Stakes, the Fair Grounds Oaks, and then her second Kentucky Oaks victory! After winning the 2014 Breeders' Cup Distaff with Untapable, Rosie announced her retirement from race riding because she was pregnant. Even with injuries and retiring early, she finished 2014 ranked 7th in the nation for earnings, with over $71 million earned in her career!

Being a Woman Jockey

Rosie Napravnik's success is special because only about 10% of all jockeys are women. At first, she didn't want to be seen as a "role model" but just as a great jockey. However, she realized she could inspire others. She always wanted her riding skills to speak for themselves. She once said, "If you show your work ethic and professionalism and obvious skill and ability, that is what is going to win somebody over."

Rosie believes the main challenge in horse racing is how tough the sport itself is. She says races are "every man for himself." She never asked for special treatment from male jockeys and believed women simply had to be as good as men. She respects other successful women jockeys, especially Julie Krone, whom she is often compared to.

Rosie knows that women jockeys in the past faced even bigger struggles for equality. But she notes that women jockeys still "fight a battle." Early in her career, she tried to "blend in" with the male riders. However, some owners and trainers refused to hire female jockeys. She also faced harassment on the track, with other riders sometimes bumping her or trapping her horse. She even heard people yell at her from the stands to "go home and have a baby." But Rosie always chose to prove herself on the track instead of getting into arguments.

She summed up her feelings in an interview, saying that women jockeys are "beyond the days of being boycotted." She believes it's about the individual woman's skill and ability to compete as smartly and sharply as any man.

Rosie's Year-End Rankings

Here's how Rosie ranked in national earnings each year:

Images for kids

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  Napravnik at Churchill Downs in the silks of Ken and Sarah Ramsey's racing stable, 2013