Quote:
Originally Posted by Cannon Shell
When Battle Won was getting ready for the CD Hdcp in 2005 the owner wanted to change riders. Being on Derby Day there was of course a lot of options. Despite my lack of knowledge of advanced stats I thought that Ramon would be a good fit. He rode a flawless race and what impressed me the most was despite him not riding on that circuit he had his agent get my address and a few weeks later a very generous check for the groom, ex rider and assistants was in the mailbox. He isn't the only jockey to do this but the amount was very generous and these were people that he didn't even know other than meeting them for a few brief seconds in the paddock before the race.
He was a genuine guy in a business full of phonies.
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Nice! Sounds like the rare combo of talent and grace. He had nearly off-the-charts ROI when shipping in to NY in 2004, a year during which I kept meticulous jockey stats. The NY bettors grossly underestimated his talent, as I think Calzone already mentioned. Great hearing from Cannon and others that he's a good guy, too, although it makes the accident and the retirement all that much sadder.
--Dunbar