On February 22, 1969, 19-year-old Barbara Jo Rubin became the
first female jockey to win a race at an American thoroughbred
track when she rides Cohesion to a victory by a neck over Reely
Beeg in the ninth race at Charles Town, West Virginia.

That she raced at all was a testament to Rubin’s ability to overcome physical hardship and prejudice. When she was 6, Rubin contracted polio. Some in the sport were adamantly against a woman jockey competing.