Quality Road could return in Amsterdam

ELMONT, N.Y. - Florida Derby winner Quality Road returned to the work tab on Sunday and if his training schedule goes uninterrupted for the next month, he could return to the races the first week of the Saratoga meet, trainer Todd Pletcher said. However, Pletcher is looking more at the Grade 2, $150,000 Amsterdam Stakes for 3-year-olds going 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 3 than he is the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on Aug. 1.

"I'd say it's going to be a tall order to make the Jim Dandy," Pletcher said Sunday afternoon after winning the Grade 2 Tom Fool with his 3-year-old Munnings. "The most likely scenario is if he is going to run that weekend it would be in the Amsterdam. We'll just have to play it by ear. He's got three or four more breezes between now and then."

On Sunday morning, Quality Road went four furlongs in 49.72 seconds over Belmont Park's main track. It was his first work since he went three furlongs on June 8 and his first breeze since moving into Pletcher's barn on June 15.

Pletcher said he thought Sunday's work went well, adding "it puts us in a position to start picking it up a little bit."

Quality Road, owned by Edward Evans, was forced to miss the Triple Crown series due to chronic quarter crack problems. Pletcher said that Quality Road's feet "look good" and that he was re-shod with regular shoes on Friday by blacksmith Ray Amato. Quality Road had been training in bar shoes.