First female jockey to win multiple Breeders’ Cup races

On November 7, 2014, Rosie Napravnik rode Untapable to victory in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita Park.[4][14] Having previously won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in 2012 on Shanghai Bobby, she became the first female jockey to win multiple Breeders’ Cup races.[9][14]

In the Distaff, a championship race for elite fillies and mares, Untapable entered as the favorite, and Napravnik delivered a patient yet decisive ride, keeping her mount in striking position before unleashing a powerful late run to secure the win. The victory crowned Untapable’s season and led to her being named champion three‑year‑old filly.[4]

Historically, the Breeders’ Cup has been one of the most competitive and internationally significant series in Thoroughbred racing. To win multiple Breeders’ Cup events is a rare distinction even among top male jockeys; for a woman, it was unprecedented. Napravnik’s second Breeders’ Cup win emphasized that her earlier Juvenile triumph was no anomaly and demonstrated her sustained excellence on the global championship stage.[6][9]

The Distaff win amplified Napravnik’s legacy as a trailblazer, providing one of the clearest statistical markers of female success at racing’s highest level. It also contributed to changing industry attitudes about female riders’ suitability for premier mounts. For scholars and historians of women’s sport, her multiple Breeders’ Cup victories offer compelling evidence that gender barriers in elite equine competition are social rather than performance-based, underscoring how opportunity and support can unlock world-class achievements.