Krone Finishes Third in Comeback Race

Riding for the first time since suffering a broken ankle at Saratoga on Aug. 30, Julie Krone finished third on Baypark in Wednesday’s fourth race at Belmont Park, then was eighth on Life Boat in the $50,000 Bouwerie Stakes.

Krone, 30, still walks with a small limp and has plates and screws in her leg.

“Coming back is great in itself,” she said. “I really wanted to win the race, but coming in third didn’t spoil the feeling of elation.

“I wanted to win today, and when I got past the wire, it was hard to stand up in the saddle and as much water as I drank before the race I was still thirsty. But, except for that, butterflies and shaking muscles, I felt fine.”

The first woman to win a Triple Crown race when she won the Belmont Stakes last year on Colonial Affair, Krone thanked her doctor and the fans who sent her get-well wishes during her recovery.