Trainer Linda Rice reported that she will likely enter Chester and Mary Broman's New York homebred Arctic Arrogance in the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 8 at Aqueduct Racetrack. The nine-furlong test is the final local Kentucky Derby qualifier, awarding a total of 100-40-30-20-10 points to the top five finishers.
Arctic Arrogance, by Frosted, was also under consideration for the seven-furlong Grade 3, $200,000 Bay Shore 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 currently 33rd on the leaderboard with 16 points, which were accrued with a string of three local second-place finishes in the Grade 2 Remsen on December 3, the Jerome on January 7 and the Grade 3 Withers on February 11.
“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 October 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 on 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 December 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 on January 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, Mommasgotta run 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 said she will consider shipping the bay daughter of Into Mischief to Keeneland for the Grade 2, $400,000 Beaumont 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.
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