Arctic Arrogance Back in Shape for Aqueduct's Withers

It's hardly surprising to hear about someone putting on a few extra pounds over the holidays.

It can happen to anyone. Even a horse.

After Chester and Mary Broman's homebred Arctic Arrogance  finished second in the Jerome Stakes on Jan. 7 at Aqueduct Racetrack, trainer Linda Rice pointed out how the 3-year-old son of Frosted   was a bit heavy for the mile race.

"We had some bad weather before the Jerome and we missed a workout," Rice said. "He wants to be a little heavy all the time."

A month later, the New York state-bred is poised to run Feb. 4 in the $250,000 Withers Stakes (G3) at the Big A, the second of New York's four monthly Kentucky Derby (G1) preps for 3-year-olds, and this time Rice has a fit and ready racehorse on her hands.

"Between (the Jerome) and now, since we are gong a mile-and-an-eighth, I didn't waste any time getting him back into a work schedule and he should be in better shape this time," Rice said.

Arctic Arrogance enters Saturday's two-turn, nine-furlong test with a stellar resume through his first five starts. He has yet to finish worse than second and closed out his 2-year-old season in December at Aqueduct by finishing second by a half-length in the 1 1/8-mile Remsen Stakes (G2). He already has eight Kentucky Derby qualifying points and can add to that total through the Withers, which offers 20-8-6-4-2 points to the top five finishers.

"He hasn't given us a poor race yet. Before the Remsen, I wasn't sure if he would handle the mile-and-an-eighth but he did it so well. Given more time to develop, he should be in a great shape," Rice said.

Cut back to a one-turn mile for the Jerome, the chunky son of the Uncle Mo   mare Modest Maven chased the pacesetting Lugan Knight  throughout but could not surge past him and settled for second, a half-length behind the frontrunning winner as the 7-5 favorite. It was his third runner-up finish to go along with a win in the Sleepy Hollow Stakes and a maiden victory. 

Rice said if Arctic Arrogance turns in a good effort, he would likely skip the one-turn mile Gotham Stakes (G3) on March 4 and be pointed toward the April 8 Wood Memorial Stakes (G2), back at a two-turn, mile-and-an-eighth distance.

"If things go well, we might sit on him until the Wood Memorial, but things would have to  go well," Rice said.

While a February stakes in New York might not seem like fertile ground for Triple Crown candidates, the Withers has some past and present points in his favor. A year ago, Early Voting   won the Withers for trainer Chad Brown and then captured the Preakness Stakes (G1), the second jewel in the Triple Crown. A victory on Saturday will also lift the winner into the top 5 on the leaderboard in the scramble for Kentucky Derby points.

The field of six also includes Gary and Mary West's Hit Show , a homebred son of Candy Ride   who was scratched out of last weekend's Southwest Stakes (G3) by trainer Brad Cox; the New York-breds General Banker  and Andiamo a Firenze , who were third and fifth, respectively, in the Jerome; the Pennsylvania-bred Ninetyprcentmaddie ; and Prove Right .

Entries: Withers S. (G3)

Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, February 04, 2023, Race 7

• Grade III
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $250,000
• 3 yo
• 3:44 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Ninetyprcentmaddie (PA)	Abner Adorno	120	Robert E. Reid, Jr.	-
2	General Banker (NY)	Eric Cancel	118	James W. Ferraro	-
3	Arctic Arrogance (NY)	Jose Lezcano	118	Linda Rice	-
4	Andiamo a Firenze (NY)	Kendrick Carmouche	118	Kelly J. Breen	-
5	Hit Show (KY)	Manuel Franco	118	Brad H. Cox	-
6	Prove Right (KY)	Jose Antonio Gomez	118	James K. Chapman	-