McLaughlin and Jara

[ELA]

Jara has talent. He has ability. Part of that is that he is stone-cold cool -- ice running through his veins. That doesn't help always when riding day to day, racehorses, green horses, horses that aren't placed well, etc. He is a guy who can "ride great" but is not yet near the "great rider" plateau.

Now, with that in mind, McLaughlin didn't have a great deal of power at every meet. He has superstars, but his barn is diverse. Garcia's agent worked very hard to get him into a spot in that barn, along with Contessa, and for certain owners as well. What hurt Jara is when he and Randy Romero split. That was not a change in agent move -- that was a political move. Gatewood Bell did not have experience as an agent -- other than assisting Randy -- and not as an agent for a rider who was at a very crucial point. There is a very complex dynamic here. Watch what happens to any jock who gets "caught" -- coming back from an injury, not having regular go-to business and mounts, etc. Even in accomplishing what he accomplished, look at the stats of the horses Jara rode on a day to day basis. Gatewood Bell couldn't even get Jara mounts as of late.

Eric