Rosario hasn't been riding up to his high standard of late. However, he's made. He doesn't need to anymore.
Here is Rosario's stats in route races over the past 12 months:
Starts: 512
Win %: 21%
ROI: $1.47
He's losing 26.5% on every dollar bet -- and he's no longer a fierce ground saver. He looks for the clean, clear, wide trip way more often than ever before. He had Creative Cause about 8-wide the entire way around the far turn in the Kentucky Derby.
In the Preakness, it was he and not Hastings Park nobuddy Mario Guitereaz, who used his horse a little early to try and keep Bodemeister a little honest.
The thing I loved about Ramon Dominguez -- even after he long established himself as the kingpin of the Mid-Atlantic circuit and had earned the best mounts. He didn't just go out and try and settle for the clean, clear, wide trip with everything.
Quite the opposite, Dominguez would park himself on the rail (even with favorites) and try and save every morsel of ground on the turns. The guy went 9 out of 10 years where he produced a strong profitable ROI in turf route races. That's never been done before.
Dominguez eventually had to get away from his great habits a little bit in New York -- but he is still someone who will save ground on turns and he is still a master of getting out of jams. He was fun to watch in the Mid-Atlantic though, he had no panic in him and a lot of times would make Houdini like escapes and win with horses who were sometimes 3rd or 4th best.
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