By Dick Jerardi
Morris Kernan Jr. and Jamie Ness’s Jagger, Inc. went for $70,000 in October 2023 to buy a yearling by Great Notion at a Timonium sale. The horse was named Kerness K and, showing no name sentimentality, began his career the following June in a $45,000 maiden claiming race.
Kerness K went unclaimed that day when finishing third, won a maiden special weight, finished third in two minor stakes before finishing seventh in the Maryland Million Nursery. Kerness K was claimed by Brittany Russell for $40,000 in his next start when he won again.
After an extended layoff, Kerness K won an allowance in his first start for Russell, but did not win again until March 13, 2026. That was in a $7,500 claiming race. Naturally, Kernan and Ness claimed their namesake. And the horse has not lost since, winning eight straight for the owners and trainer Ness, nine overall.
The most recent win was on Claiming Crown Showcase Day Aug. 22 at Colonial Downs. Kerness K looked hopelessly beaten in the stretch before running down a loose leader right at the wire to win by a nose. If all goes well, the horse will run in the Claiming Crown on Nov. 14 at Churchill Downs.
Kerness K was 4-5 at Colonial. Ness’s confidence was high before the race and during the race. However…
“At the top of the lane, pretty slim,” Ness said. “You don’t win nine races in a row and not know how to win. He got up at the last jump. It was a very exciting race.”
With four months left in the year, Kerness K leads the country in wins. It was just last year that the Ness-trained He’s In Charge won nine straight from late March to early October.
“I took him to Mahoning Valley and got him beat,” Ness said.
Going for 10 straight, He’s In Charge finished second at 3-5 on Nov. 19. Kerness K will get his chance for 10 straight in the coming weeks. The horse has raced at least once in every month of 2026.
During the streak, Kerness K has five wins by a combined 34 lengths. And four wins by a nose, neck, head, and nose.
“The fact of the matter is he’s got nine in a row and I’m proud of him,” Ness said. “I give him all the credit. He’s been a great claim. He’s a good, little horse to train, sound, young, easygoing. I got a couple pretty tough spots coming up for him so we’ll see if he can continue.”
That they got Kerness K back for $7,500 was providential. Ness smiled when he recounted last New Year’s Eve at Aqueduct. Kerness K was entered in a $30,000 claiming race.
“We dropped a claim,” Ness said. “I can’t remember exactly what happened. An administrative thing, we screwed up the claim, it got voided.” Then 10 weeks later, they got Kerness K for $7,500.
When they bought Kerness K originally, Ness just happened to be at the sale looking at another horse.
“I looked around the corner and saw him coming out,” Ness said. “I said ‘wow, that’s the best looking horse in the sale.’ I called my partner back and said I like some horses, but I really like Hip No. (242).”
“Morris Kernan got to looking and said: ‘do what you got to do. Hey, I used to have the mare (No Picnic) of that horse. She was a good horse. I really liked her. Do what you can to buy her.’ We paid $70,000 for him, kind of over what we usually do. I liked the horse. He had the mare. Everything was working out.”
Hip No. 242 has now raced 20 times, with 12 wins and earnings of $301,335. Kernan and Ness bought him, lost him, got him back, and now Kerness K can’t lose.
