ELMONT, N.Y. -- The morning after Albert the Great's decisive three-length win in Sunday's $150,000 Dwyer at Belmont Park, his trainer, Nick Zito, reflected on the state of the 3-year-old division.

"I would like to think we are even right now," Zito said.

The Dwyer field included Preakness winner Red Bullet, Belmont winner Commendable, and More Than Ready. About the only key contender not to make the race was Fusaichi Pegasus, the Kentucky Derby winner who recently returned to training after a bruised foot kept him out of the Belmont.

"The Derby winner was sensational in the Derby," Zito said, explaining his reasoning. "I think the Preakness winner was equally sensational in the Preakness. And the Belmont, you know there were some questions, but [Commendable] did run a mile and a half and did beat Aptitude. When you look at More Than Ready, he speaks for himself."

Fusaichi Pegasus, off his commanding Derby victory, is still considered by many people as the division leader. The colt, whose reported $60 million sale for stud duty is pending, has not raced since finishing second to Red Bullet in the Preakness over a wet strip. Plans for him are unclear, and he will not make the Swaps, the next important 3-year-old race in California, where he is stabled.

Albert the Great, a Go For Gin gelding who was ridden by Richard Migliore in the Dwyer, is owned by Tracy Farmer. He will ship to Zito's Saratoga barn Tuesday to begin training for his next start in the $400,000 Jim Dandy on Aug. 5.

Although Albert the Great was trying stakes company for the first time in the Grade 2 Dwyer, his trainer had been cautiously optimistic about taking on seasoned stakes performers.

"He had 30 days of great training, which is extremely important," Zito said. "Everything worked out just right. It was our turn, and we had a lot of good things going for us. I really liked the post position [4]."

Over at the Red Bullet camp, trainer Joe Orseno was looking for answers Monday morning as to why his colt, the 3-5 favorite, failed to fire and finished third, 4 3/4 lengths behind Albert the Great. Orseno said Red Bullet scoped clean after the race, but he drew blood from the colt and was expecting results back on Tuesday.

"He's not himself, but we haven't quite figured it out," Orseno said. "He walked good after the race. Jerry [Bailey] said the horse was dull. It wasn't Red Bullet. I figured [Monday] that I would see a temperature and that he didn't eat. He had no temperature and he cleaned his feed tub. The only thing was he drank a bucket and a half of water after the race, and that indicates to me a horse getting a little sick. He's really dehydrated. He was blowing like he tried and won the race. He's also a little gassy.

"It's not serious; it's not his legs," Orseno added. "The positive in all of this is he finished third and did no running. He could have backed up and got beat 20 lengths. There are lots of positives. The negative was he was dull. I'm not too concerned. I've lost no confidence in him."

Orseno said if Red Bullet returns to the track and trains well, he will run as planned in the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on Aug. 6.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said he also intends to run More Than Ready, who finished second in the Dwyer in his first start since the Kentucky Derby, in the Haskell. More Than Ready lost momentum at the break and bumped with Commendable. Jockey John Velazquez then claimed foul against Albert the Great for coming over on him during the stretch run, but the stewards quickly dismissed the objection.

Pletcher said he believed if his colt had gotten a cleaner start, he would have been closer to Albert the Great early in the race. "The way the first quarter unfolded in 24 (seconds), it was to Albert the Great's advantage," Pletcher said.

Commendable, who at 9-1 was the longest shot in the Dwyer, is also expected to run in the Haskell. Mike Marlow, an assistant to trainer D. Wayne Lukas, said the Dwyer's fourth-place finisher came out of the race in good order.

"If you could do the race over, I think he should have been a little closer to the leader," Marlow said. "He should have lapped right on Albert the Great. Maybe the outcome would have been the same, but I think he would have had more opportunity to run his race."