Derby prospect: Arctic Arrogance is probable for Wood Memorial
Trainer Linda Rice reported that she likely will enter Chester and Mary Broman’s New York homebred Arctic Arrogance in the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial next Saturday at Aqueduct. The 1 1/8-mile test is the final New York qualifier for Kentucky Derby 2023, awarding 100-40-30-20-10 points to the top five finishers.
Arctic Arrogance, by Frosted, also was under consideration for the seven-furlong Bay Shore (G3) on the same day, but Rice said the Wood is the most likely landing spot in order to keep any Kentucky Derby aspirations alive. Arctic Arrogance is 33rd on the leaderboard with 16 points, which were accrued with a string of three local second-place finishes in the Remsen (G2) on Dec. 3, the Jerome on Jan. 7 and the Withers (G3) on Feb. 11.
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“We’re leaning towards the Wood, actually,” Rice said. “If you don’t run in the Wood, you can’t keep the door open for the Derby. Mr. Broman and I spoke about it (Thursday), and we would like to keep the door open. He’s trained well going into this race, so we’ll give it a shot in the Wood.”
Never worse than second in six lifetime starts, Arctic Arrogance was a 4 1/2-length winner of the Sleepy Hollow on Oct. 30 at Belmont at the Big A. He is out of the unraced Uncle Mo mare Modest Maven, who also produced stakes-placed Overstep. His third dam, multiple stakes-winner Big Dreams, produced dual champion sprinter and Hall of Famer Housebuster.
In Sunday’s $100,000 Top Flight, Rice will saddle Ronald P. Stewart’s Mommasgottarun, who enters off a 3 1/4-length victory going a one-turn mile in a local optional claimer March 17. The daughter of Maclean’s Music raced with blinkers on in her last effort.
Claimed by Rice for $50,000 out of a Dec. 31 claiming event going seven furlongs from trainer Robert Falcone Jr., Mommasgottarun has won 2 of 3 starts under her current conditioner’s care. She crossed the wire second in her debut for Rice, a nine-furlong, optional claiming test Jan. 12, but was elevated to first.
“With the blinkers she was pretty aggressive into a fast half,” Rice said. “She got a little tired late, but hopefully she’ll settle down again. We know she can get the mile-and-an-eighth. She’s done that pretty nicely.”
Bred in Ontario by Hill ’n’ Dale Equine Holdings, Mommasgottarun is out of the Tiznow mare Love in Tokyo, whose dam Lisa T. is a half-sister to 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver. She hails from the prominent bloodlines of influential matriarch La Troienne.
Eric Cancel will ride from post 5.
Rice still has her sights set on the $200,000 Bouwerie on May 29 at Belmont Park with undefeated stakes-winner Downtown Mischief, but she said she will consider shipping the bay daughter of Into Mischief to Keeneland for the $400,000 Beaumont (G2) on April 16.
A Lady Sheila Stable, New York homebred, Downtown Mischief is out of the Speightstown mare Downtown Mama, a three-time winner campaigned by the same connections and a half-sister to graded stakes winner Alpha Kitten.