Lugan Knight holds off Arctic Arrogance in Jerome Stakes
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - While it remains to be seen how far Lugan Knight will ultimately want to run, his connections at least learned Saturday that their horse is a fighter.
After setting a contested pace over race favorite Arctic Arrogance, Lugan Knight held that rival at bay in the stretch to win the $150,000 Jerome Stakes by a half-length at Aqueduct. Arctic Arrogance, the 6-5 favorite coming off a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes, finished seven lengths clear of third-place finisher General Banker.
Neural Network was fourth, followed by Andiamo a Firenze, Narciso Dali and Valenzan Day. Circling the Drain was scratched.
Trainer Michael McCarthy thought his horse would be closer to the pace in the Jerome than he was going six furlongs in his last start, but he admitted to being a little surprised seeing the horse on the lead.
Lugan Knight, a son of Goldencents, had a half-length advantage over Arctic Arrogance through a quarter in 23.41 seconds, a half-mile in 47.70, six furlongs in 1:12.73 and covered the mile in 1:37.77 over a harrowed track upgraded from muddy to good earlier in the day. Lugan Knight returned $9.10 as the third choice.
“I thought he would be laying a little bit closer today just because of the stretch-out and where he’s been in his last couple of starts,” McCarthy said from Southern California, where his main stable is based. “I was a little surprised to see him on the lead. It didn’t look like they were going as fast as I thought they were going to go.”
Jockey Dylan Davis said he thought they might have been sitting third early, but the horse wanted to be forwardly placed, so he let him.
“He broke okay, not the best, got into a little bit of rhythm and was able to get the lead,” Davis said. “Once I got there, he was very comfortable even with the challenge from my outside and he fought hard for me down the stretch, he did not want to give up. I really thought that horse was going to come up to him and pass him, but he was not giving up. He really opened my eyes there that last eighth of a mile.”
McCarthy, who trains the horse for George Yager's BG Stables, said he was happy to see the horse show some fight in the lane over a more seasoned horse like Arctic Arrogance.
“He’s always acted like he’s a horse with a little bit of constitution to him, it was great to see him get in a dogfight and be able to go ahead and repel the other charge,” said McCarthy, who won his first race in New York in his 15th try. “The internal fractions weren’t as fast as I thought they would be; great ride from Dylan Davis, he took charge of the situation early and it proved to be all the difference.”
Arctic Arrogance, who dropped a half-length decision to Dubyuhnell in the Remsen last month, looked poised under Jose Lezcano to go past Lugan Knight, but ultimately didn’t.
“We think we’re just going to put him on the lead next time,” trainer Linda Rice said. “He fights on the lead. He shows up each time, he’s taken steps forward. He’s a young horse and we certainly can’t be disappointed in any of his efforts.”
The win earned Lugan Knight 10 qualifying points for the May 6 Kentucky Derby. The Jerome hasn’t produced a Kentucky Derby starter since 2018 and McCarthy didn’t seem anxious to stretch the horse out in distance just yet. He indicated the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham, like the Jerome, a one-turn mile race, here on March 4, could be next.
“I was concerned with the mile before we ran, obviously it looks like he was able to do that,” McCarthy said. “Don’t know how much he had left in the tank, but it looked like he won well enough.”
McCarthy credited his Kentucky-based assistant Justin Curran with having Lugan Knight prepared for the Jerome. The horse, who stabled this week with Horacio De Paz in New York, will return to Kentucky to train.
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