3-Year-Olds Test Belmont

Some of the 3-year-olds running in the $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes today at Belmont Park could return in the Belmont Stakes on June 10.

Top prospects in the 1 1/8 -mile race are Strong Contender and Sunriver.

A lightly raced son of Maria’s Mon trained by John Ward for owner John Oxley, Strong Contender suffered his first loss in his third start in the Blue Grass Stakes last month at Keeneland. He had broken his maiden at Arlington as a 2-year-old last summer, then won an allowance at Gulfstream Park in his 2006 debut.

Sunriver, ineligible for the Kentucky Derby because of insufficient earnings, will return in the 1 1/2 -mile Belmont if all goes well in the Peter Pan. He has been idle since finishing third behind Barbaro and Sharp Humor in the Florida Derby on April 1 at Gulfstream.

The Peter Pan also includes Really Indian, who will be making his first start since breaking his maiden almost four months ago at Santa Anita for trainer Neil Drysdale, who has won the Peter Pan twice.

Race of the day: Artie Schiller, who was beaten by a nose as the 1-2 favorite in his first start of the year in the Maker’s Mark on April 14 at Keeneland, will try to rebound in the $250,000 Dixie today at Pimlico. Garrett Gomez will ride the 2005 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner in the Grade II at 1 1/8 miles on the turf. The Dixie is part of a pick four with a guaranteed pool of $1 million.

One for the road: Hangonbabyhangon drops into a softer spot after two starts at Zia Park in New Mexico to begin her career. A.L. Gutierrez will ride the 3-year-old daughter of Comet Shine in the $8,000 maiden claimer, eighth on the card at Bay Meadows.

Exotically speaking: A pick three using Traffic Update in the third; Go America and Commander Gary in the fourth; and Fourty Niners Son, Becrux, We All Love Aleyna and Toasted in the fifth.

Winners (through Thursday): (previous day/meet total): 2/43. Money: (previous day/meet total): $8.60/$282.20. Total money bet: $312.