"I want to win a lot of big races," John said. "But to just be a part of the Breeders' Cup is part of a dream for me."John began riding in his native country in 1990 and had ridden at several North American tracks since, including Finger Lakes, Sam Houston, Aqueduct, Tampa Bay Downs, Hialeah Park and Gulfstream Park before moving his tack to the Southern California circuit. He is looking to become the first African-American jockey in history to win a Breeders' Cup race.
Jockey Kerwin John, who earned his first career graded stakes victory when he guided Everest Stables' Island Fashion to victory in the Oct. 3 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II) at Oak Tree at Santa Anita, will ride the 4-year-old daughter of Petionville in the Breeders' Cup Distaff – Presented by Nextel (gr. I), according to trainer Marcelo Polanco."I'm very grateful and thankful to her trainer and her owner," John said. "They've really shown me a lot of loyalty since I came here."John, a native of St. Croix who has ridden several horses for Polanco and Everest Stables since arriving in California just more than a year ago, says riding in the Breeders' Cup is a lifelong dream come true.