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Kathy Ritvo Can Become First Female Trainer to Win Belmont Stakes When last I checked in on Mucho Macho Man, he was making a few changes in preparation for this Saturday's running of the Belmont Stakes. For starters, Mucho Macho Man will be getting some new shoes, a change brought about by the fact that he has last shoes in two of his last three races. Secondly, Mucho Macho Man also as a new jockey, as Ramon Dominguez will be taking over for Rajiv Maragh. However, Kathy Ritvo, Mucho Macho Man's trainer, is not going anywhere. And if all goes well on Saturday, history will be made in her name. MUST READ: One Fact About Each Belmont Stakes Horse
If Mucho Macho Man races to victory in the third leg of the Triple Crown, Ritvo will become the first female trainer to ever have a horse win the Belmont Stakes. That would be just fine as far as Ritvo is concerned, as she fairly digs the Belmont Stakes. “It would be great here in New York,” Ritvo said, via Frank Angst of the Thoroughbred Times. “It would be amazing to win here. Of the three Triple Crown races, I’m most excited about this one. Going a mile-and-a-half, your horse has to have true stamina to get through this race.” For the record, there has been a female jockey that has won the Belmont Stakes. That would be none other than the now-retired Julie Krone, who rode Colonial Affair to victory at Belmont Park in 1993. As far as female trainers go, the closest one came to achieving victory was in 1988, when the late Dianne Carpenter saw Kingpost finish second to Risen Star. Mucho Macho Man will be starting from the No. 10 post on Saturday, just outside of Kentucky Derby winner and Belmont favorite Animal Kingdom. The 1.5 miles of the race will be just as challenging to him as they will be to all the other horses in the field, but the hope is that Mucho Macho Man's new shoes and new jockey will help him regain the edge he's been missing in his last couple races. His odds of winning are 10-1.
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