Rags to Riches confirmed for Belmont

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Since coming back from his fall at Keeneland last spring.

JRV has won at a 20.9% clip, from just over 1,000 total rides. His overall ROI is $1.63 -- which is an 18.5% loss on the betting dollar...slightly more than the win takeout.

He's having uncharacteristical statistical struggles on the dirt. Since the injury, he's 137-for-622 (22% wins) but his ROI is terrible $1.37 ...which is a 31.5% loss on the betting dollar...and more than double the takeout.

He's also struggled in stake races recently--winning just six of them since the end of March...and that includes all varieties of stakes from ones with $35,000 purses right up through Grade 1 races.

He's always been a guy who's ROI stats have always looked far better than his riding appears, especially right before he teamed up with Todd Pletcher--he rides the inside paths about as well as anyone not named Dominguez, Prado, or Borel --- but he tries avoiding the inside even more than usual, and almost never seems content there anymore.

He's always put up remarkably good turf numbers, especially for a guy who isn't fond of saving ground.

I've only been focusing on stake races the fast few months....but he appears to be riding well below his best form from what I've seen in those limited number of races.