Turfway Park: Rose looks to rebuild stalled career

The career of jockey Jeremy Rose is, in computer lingo, getting a reboot – and at Turfway Park of all places.

Rose, 34, the Eclipse Award-winning apprentice of 2001 who rose to prominence as the regular rider of Preakness and Belmont winner Afleet Alex in 2005, hasn’t experienced the same success in recent years. Beginning in 2010, his mounts, victories, and earnings have continually decreased – with him going 59 for 334 with just more than $2 million in earnings in 2013.

By way of comparison, Rose won 288 races and more than $9 million in purses with 1,183 mounts in his most rewarding year in 2007.

This year, Rose went 0 for 12 at Oaklawn Park, with none of his mounts hitting the board.

Rose is hopeful that times will soon be changing. With the move to Turfway, he moves into a thinner jockey colony, and he already has his backers.

“Jimmy Mac” McNerney, a top agent in Kentucky and Indiana, is representing him, and Rose already has garnered support from trainer Mike Maker, who regularly tops the standings at Turfway.

“With Jimmy Mac, as good as he is, and getting to ride for Mr. Maker, I thought, why not?” Rose said of his decision to come to Turfway.

On Saturday, he was to ride Harry’s Holiday for Maker in the 96Rock Stakes, one of six mounts in his first day riding full time at Turfway. Sunday, he has seven potential mounts, with one of those being an also-eligible.

Although Turfway presents an opportunity for Rose to regain lost momentum, riding at the track also will establish business for more lucrative races to be run at Indiana Downs, which begins in the spring and continues through the fall.

At Indiana Downs, McNerney dominates, having represented leading riders such as Malcolm Franklin, Leandro Goncalves, and Victor Lebron. Last year when Indiana Downs raced from April 23 through Oct. 19, Franklin won 158 races and more than $3 million with McNerney representing him.

McNerney hopes have both Rose and Franklin for the Indiana Downs meet, which begins May 6.

In the meantime, Rose seems excited about the opportunity to be riding regularly following a forgettable 2013, when he was slowed by a shoulder injury that didn’t heal properly until he had surgery later in the year.

Rose has unquestionably ridden better horses than anyone else in the current Turfway jockey colony. In addition to Afleet Alex, Rose was aboard 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown when the colt won a maiden race at Saratoga in 2007, and he was the regular rider of Havre de Grace during her 2-year-old and 3-year-old years in 2009 and 2010, before she was transferred from trainer Tony Dutrow to Larry Jones and became the 2011 Horse of the Year.

“I’ve been very lucky compared to most jockeys,” he said.

◗ Holding a commanding lead in the jockey standings at Turfway is Albin Jimenez, who entering Friday night’s card had won with 22 of 85 mounts – giving him a 12-win edge in the winter/holiday meet over veteran Perry Ouzts.

Jimenez also won the Holiday meet title by a 19-15 margin over Norberto Arroyo Jr., currently the leading rider at Oaklawn Park.

◗ Sunday’s modest nine-race card at Turfway has just one non-claiming race: the eighth, a $21,000 straight maiden contest at a mile for older fillies and mares.

Fashion City has the best form, coming off a pair of seconds at Turfway, while Ghost Galaxy has the most exciting bloodlines. The latter is a 5-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper that is related to three stakes winners, including Red Giant, 2008 winner of the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Turf Championship.