[mikemca]

Seems like a strange decision to me.Leaving So Cal where he was king of the hill to play at least 3rd fiddle behind Castellano and Dominguez.Then behind Johnny V when he gets back from broken collarbone.Even after those 3 he is going to have to fight with J Alvarado,Rosie,Eddie Castro,Lezcano,Leparoux,C Velasquez,A Garcia, and Maragh plus even others.He is a good rider but they are all good riders too and they already have a relationship built with the stables.....Strange move

[mikemca]

Joel Rosario, among the leading riders in Southern California, will be moving his tack to Belmont Park beginning June 27, his agent Ron Ebanks said Sunday.


Ebanks said he and Rosario had been contemplating a move to New York for the last year but expedited the decision due to the collarbone injury suffered Saturday night at Churchill Downs by John Velazquez, which is expected to keep him out of action for two months.


Ebanks, speaking by phone from California, also said the “best horses are going to be back there,” in New York. “That’s the main reason we’re coming there.”


Ebanks said he has already reached out to several New York horsemen that plan to use Rosario, who was the leading rider at the Santa Anita Park meet with 89 wins and who is currently third in the standings at Betfair Hollywood Park with 24 wins.


“There are lots of problems, that’s not going to be one of them,” Ebanks said. “They won’t leave Joel in the jockeys’ room.”
This year, Rosario ranks seventh in the country in races won with 116 and sixth in purse money won with $6,169,966.


Rosario, 24, is currently serving a suspension handed him by the California stewards. He is expected to return Saturday at Hollywood Park, where he will ride Via Villaggio in the Grade 2, $150,000 Hollywood Oaks. Next Sunday, he will ride Capital Plan in the Grade 3, $100,000 Beverly Hills Handicap, also at Hollywood.


Ebanks said Rosario would then come to New York and hope to begin riding June 27, the first day of the new condition book.


Rosario, a native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, has 1,354 career victories and has finished in the top five in purse money won the last three years.

[TonyP]

thanks Mike

[BGboothA]

I always found this side of the sport to be fascinating....Strange thing is that most feel like the California horses have been killing most of the 'big' races. Why would moving East find better horses?

[mikemca]

Because he wants to be the nations leading jockey

4 of the top 5 are based in NY

8 of top 11 based in NY

Think he is going to find it much harder out here.After leading at Churchill Leparoux came to NY and just average at best.Junior Alvarado is probably the best comparison to Rosario.He came to NY after dominating the Illinois circuit and is doing pretty good now but it took him a couple years to get there.

[TonyP]

he certainly will be up against some good riders

[mikemca]

he certainly will be up against some good riders

I see it basically like this

Dominguez--1st
Castellano--2nd
Johnny V--3rd
J Alvarado--4th
Rosie Napravnik--5th


Then he will have to fight for leftover mounts with Lezcano,A Garcia,E Castro,Leparoux,C Velasquez,Maragh.

And they already have built relationships with stables like C Val has Linda Rice's live ones and Castro/Garcia get McLaughlin's live ones.Think he is going to be riding alot of Keith Obrien/Gary Sciacca type horses.On top of all that some trainers would probably use a bug to get weight advantage because the apprentices in NY are top notch.I think he is trading in 25% on even money shot after even money shot to have to fight for 15%.

[thezbar]

Curious move to say the least. I'll be surprised if he lands in the top five at Saratoga.