Hancock Says Krone to Ride Forty Niner in Breeders’ Cup

Seth Hancock, the owner of Forty Niner, has named Julie Krone to ride his colt in the $3-million Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 5, which will make her the first female jockey to compete in the annual races.

Krone got the mount on Forty Niner because Laffit Pincay, in support of a jockeys’ strike in New York, chose not to ride the horse Saturday in the New York Racing Assn. Mile at Aqueduct. Hancock said before the race that if Pincay didn’t ride Forty Niner Saturday, he would never get the opportunity again.

Billy Fox, one of the replacement jockeys at Aqueduct and a rider who had never ridden in a big race before, rode Forty Niner to victory by a neck.

Krone, 25, who rides in New Jersey and New York, has ridden almost 1,400 winners, more than any woman. With more than 200 wins this year, her mounts have earned about $4.3 million.

Krone rode Forty Niner to a 7-length win in a $30,000 race at Monmouth Park on July 16.

“She had good luck with him,” said Woody Stephens, Forty Niner’s trainer. “He’s not a difficult horse to ride and I’m sure she’ll handle him fine.”

The fifth Breeders’ Cup--a 7-race day with purses worth $10 million--will be run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.