Joel Rosario shifting his tack to NY

[Dahoss]

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.

I remember Kerwin John riding at Finger Lakes before Mountaineer. He made John Grabowski look like Cordero.