After five years, time is right for jockey Jeremy Rose to return to Delaware Park

Wilmington, Del., May 23, 2018—The time is right for jockey Jeremy Rose to
return to Delaware Park, where a blossoming career brought him national
fame. The 39-year-old native of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, will be riding
full-time at the Stanton oval for the first time since 2013 when the meets
open on May 30.
Rose will also be reuniting with his former agent, John “Kidd” Breeden.
Between 2001 and 2010, the tandem won more than 1,000 races, two riding
titles, more than 30 stakes and a pair of leading jockey titles at
Delaware Park. On the national level, the team put together an Eclipse
Award–winning campaign for Outstanding Apprentice in 2001, and they gained
national recognition when Afleet Alex won the Preakness and Belmont in
2005.
YouTube Video Afleet Alex winning Delaware Park ALW

“Those were some really good years with a ton of awesome memories,” said
Rose, who notched his first career victory in his first race aboard Dalys
Princess at Delaware Park on September 23, 2000. “We won a lot of races.
We won almost every stake with the exception of the Del Cap and Oaks, but
even then, we had some pretty nice races despite coming up a little short.
The battles for leading jock—just even winning individual races—with Ramon
(Dominguez) were incredible. This is also the track where we developed
relationships with guys like Tim Ritchey and Graham Motion that led to the
national spotlight. Delaware Park has been a good stomping ground for me.”
In 2010, he finished second in the standings with a record of 105 wins
from 397 mounts. But that was also the year things started to unravel for
him. He started taking pain medicine for injuries, and Breeden and Rose
agreed to part ways. In 2011, Rose fell to sixth in standings, with a
record of 53 wins from 223 mounts. In 2012 he finished ninth, with a
record of 23 wins from 134 mounts. And in 2013, Rose’s final season at
Delaware Park, he had a record of ten wins from 61 mounts.
“As a stable area community, we used to play volleyball and softball and
we frequently had barbecues,” said Rose, who was the leading jockey at
Delaware Park in 2001 and 2007. “It was the place to be. It’s one of the
prettiest tracks in the world, the money is good, the living costs are low
and you cannot beat the area. But with the personal stuff going on, there
came a time when I had to move on and go in a different direction. But I
really missed being here.”
Rose faced his demons and worked hard to overcome them. With renewed
confidence, and the opportunity to reunite with Breeden, he decided to
return to Delaware Park.
“Kidd called me and that was it,” Rose said. “I had been wanting to get
back together with him for a couple of years, but the timing wasn’t right
for either of us. I had to get my personal issues taken care of, and
that’s the reason I stayed close to home and rode primarily at Penn
National.”
Rose also has the motivation of family to keep him grounded.
“I am engaged and my fiancée has a three-year-old girl, so that gives me
even more reason to keep working toward being the best rider I can be,”
Rose said. “When you start looking at things from the perspective of
wanting a child to be everything they can be, it sharpens your focus on
the important things even more.”
Rose’s goal coming into this season at Delaware Park is no different than
the goal he had every other season he was here.
“Same as any meet—to be the leading rider,” Rose said. “But those years we
had were very big years, so I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to that.
We are going to try, but any part of that would be nice.”