Jerome one-two finishers headed in different directions

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – It is likely Lugan Knight and Arctic Arrogance, the one-two finishers from Saturday’s $150,000 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct, will go their separate ways for their next starts.

Lugan Knight, who beat Arctic Arrogance by a half-length in the Jerome, was scheduled on Tuesday to return to Kentucky, where he is based with Justin Curran, assistant to trainer Michael McCarthy.

McCarthy indicated after the Jerome that a potential next start for Lugan Knight is the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes, like the Jerome, a one-turn mile, on March 4 at Aqueduct.

Neither McCarthy, after the Jerome, nor owner George Yager, on Sunday, indicated a desire to stretch the horse out beyond a mile, at least in the immediate future.

McCarthy said he was happy to see Lugan Knight successfully stretch out from six furlongs to the mile but has maintained he’s not sure how much farther he wants to run.

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Though the Jerome earned Lugan Knight 10 qualifying points toward the May 6 Kentucky Derby, Yager, in an interview with the New York Racing Association, didn’t indicate he had Derby fever.

“I’m very realistic,” Yager said. “He may have his limitations as far as distance is concerned. I’ve been in this game a while and I don’t get too carried away.”

Lugan Knight, a son of two-time Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Goldencents, earned an 85 Beyer Speed Figure for the Jerome.

Meanwhile, Linda Rice, trainer of Arctic Arrogance, said the Jerome and Remsen runner-up would be pointed to the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes here Feb. 4. Rice said Arctic Arrogance, from a fitness perspective, would benefit from more racing and she likes the idea of getting him back out around two turns and 1 1/8 miles.

“He may be better at a mile and an eighth and there may be others who don’t want to go that far,” Rice said.

Rice said she will consider putting blinkers on Arctic Arrogance, who didn’t want to pass Lugan Knight in the lane when it looked like he had dead aim on that rival.

“He ran well enough in the Remsen, I may just leave it alone, but [blinkers] will be a consideration,” Rice said.

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