Pletcher regroups with 3-year-old stars Spinoff, Intrepid Heart

Neither of Todd Pletcher's top 3-year-olds on dirt hit the board in last weekend's Belmont Stakes, but the trainer plans to give both Spinoff and Intrepid Heart another chance to contend with the crop's best.

Pletcher told the NYRA Press Office that "both have come back well," adding that "I thought they both ran hard" in the final leg of the Triple Crown series.

Spinoff, who exited a dull Kentucky Derby effort, ran sixth. Previously, the came off the layoff to dominate in allowance company at Tampa Bay Downs and ran second in the Louisiana Derby (G2).

Intrepid Heart, who started his career 2-for-2, ran eighth of 10 in the Belmont. Before that, he was third in the local Peter Pan Stakes (G3) behind Global Campaign and the eventual Belmont winner Sir Winston.

Saratoga has two options next: the July 26 Curlin, a $100,000 race for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles, and July 27 Jim Dandy (G2), a more lucrative, $600,000 spot at the same distance.

Those stakes precede the Aug. 24 Travers Stakes (G1) in New York.

"They're both eligible for the Curlin and also the Jim Dandy," Pletcher said, "so we'll target both see where we enter."

Pletcher's other 3-year-old dirt male of note, Sunland Derby (G3) winner Cutting Humor, hasn't returned to the work tab since running 10th in the Kentucky Derby.

On turf, Bulletin, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner, did not make an anticipated trip to Royal Ascot due to a recent fever that set him back. However, the 3-for-4 son of City Zip returned to the work tab Saturday morning, going three furlongs in 38.68 seconds at Belmont Park toward Saratoga's opening day Quick Call (G3) on July 11.

Beyond that, he could also point to the Secretariat (G1) at Arlington with the race cut back to a mile this season so as to not compete with the New York Racing Association's new Turf Triple Series for sophomores on the grass.