Quote:
Originally Posted by Calzone Lord
Kerwin John rode regularly at Mountaineer Park in 2002 and 2003 and was a 3% jockey there. You could have taken a poll of trainers asking to rate the top 20 jockeys at MNR and no one would have named Kerwin.
The very next year - Kerwin John finished 8th in the standings at Del Mar and had more wins and a higher win percentage than a very accomplished jockey like Mike Smith (who also moved East to West) Kerwin was 6th in the standings at Hollywood Park.
Kerwin went from a 3% win percentage and having no luck finding a decent mount anywhere in West Virginia in 2003 - to having three mounts on the Breeders Cup card in 2004.
One of them, Island Fashion, was like 5/1 or so in the $2 million BC Distaff off her win in the Lady's Secret last out. He was a nobuddy in West Virginia and Ohio -- and in a snap of a finger -- he's winning Grade 1 races and live on the Breeders Cup card.
It's all about opportunity and fashion. When these guys without much ability finally fall out of favor - they tank. Just as a guy without an ounce of ability will put up big surprisingly strong numbers if they stumble into opportunity.
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I remember Kerwin John riding at Finger Lakes before Mountaineer. He made John Grabowski look like Cordero.