Riding for My Life

The title of top jockey Krone's autobiography is not hyperbolic, because she came dangerously close to death in a spill at Saratoga in 1993 and has had other close calls while competing in one of the most dangerous sports. Raised on a farm in Michigan, where her mother trained horses, she early developed the ability to analyze horses' personalities, a talent that, she claims, has helped make her the most successful female rider of all time--the first to rack up more than 2800 races, the first to win a Triple Crown race (the Belmont in 1993) and the first to surpass $50 million in purse earnings. Krone encountered prejudice in carving out a career in an almost exclusively male field, but her toughness won respect; on a couple of occasions, she even got into brawls with male jockeys who had fouled her. Writing with freelancer Richardson (Feel No Fear), Krone tells a story that should appeal to those who enjoy a hard-run race. Photos not seen by PW. (May)