Mendham Native is Only Female Jockey to Complete Kentucky Derby

Being a woman in a predominantly men’s sport doesn’t mean much to Rosie Napravnik.

The Mendham-born jockey took another stab at the Kentucky Derby Saturday night, the only female to ride in this year’s event.

While the horse she rode on, Vicar’s in Trouble, came in last with its 20-1 odds, it was just another notch in Napravnik’s belt, who holds the highest female finish in the race’s history when she came in ninth in 2011, according to kentuckyderby.com.

The top five finishers of the race were all guaranteed money, with California Chrome, a 2-1 favorite, winning the race and a $1.4 million purse.