Cross Traffic sitting on go for return

ELMONT, N.Y. – Cross Traffic, last year’s Grade 1 Whitney Handicap winner and tough-luck loser of the Metropolitan Handicap, recently returned to trainer Todd Pletcher’s barn and on Monday worked four furlongs in 48.20 seconds over the Belmont Park main track.

While that was his first work at Belmont, Cross Traffic had four works at his owner’s GoldMark Farm in Florida.

“He came in with a good fitness level, seemed to do that very easily, galloped out well,” said Pletcher, who noted that the horse worked Monday in company with Edison.

Cross Traffic has not run since finishing seventh after a stumbling start in the Jockey Club Gold Cup last September, a race from which he emerged with a shin issue that ultimately knocked him out of the Breeders’ Cup.

Pletcher said it was premature to start picking out spots for Cross Traffic but mentioned getting a race into him toward the end of the Belmont meet and pointing to the Woodward Stakes at Saratoga at the end of that meet. Depending on how quickly he comes to hand, the $1.5 million Whitney on Aug. 2 could still be possible.

“It’s premature to judge until they breeze; he had a number of breezes down there, so it shouldn’t take forever to get ready,” Pletcher said. “We’ll gradually increase his workload and see where he is conditioning-wise.”

Cross Traffic lost a heartbreaking nose decision to Sahara Sky in the Met Mile last year.

This year, Pletcher will be represented in the Met Mile by 2013 Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice and King’s Bishop winner Capo Bastone.