Women have played key roles in horse racing since the venerable sport’s earliest days.

Yet few women – or men for that matter – at any level of the sport created a legacy that can rival the respect and importance of Marylou Whitney.

Whitney, who died July 19, 2019, at age 93, did so much more than simply race in the famed Eton blue and brown silks. She became the first woman in 80 years to breed and own a Kentucky Oaks winner. She won the Belmont Stakes and Travers in the same year.

Throughout horse racing history, women have been instrumental in contributing to the progression and advancement of the sport. Although horse racing remains a largely male-dominated world, women continue to break down barriers as jockeys, trainers, owners, breeders, and farm managers.

This International Women’s Day, we want to celebrate a few of the women that have made a lasting impact and paved the way for women in the sport today.