OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Given Arctic Arrogance’s tendency to put on weight quickly, trainer Linda Rice thought it best not to wait too long between starts for the 3-year-old colt. That, as much as anything, is why Rice has opted to run Arctic Arrogance in Saturday’s $150,000 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct. Rice entered Arctic Arrogance as well as recent claim Valenzan Day in the Jerome, the first stakes for 3-year-olds in 2023 on this circuit and one that offers qualifying points to the Kentucky Derby to the first five finishers (10-4-3-2-1). A field of eight was entered Wednesday. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match and FREE Formulator PPs! Join DRF Bets. “A lot of times we’re struggling to keep enough weight on these horses,” Rice said. “In this case, it’s the opposite. He’s a hard horse to keep fit; he wants to be heavy.” Rice kept Arctic Arrogance moving in the fall, running him four times from Sept. 5 through Dec. 3. His first three starts came against New York-bred company and included a 4 1/2-length victory in the Sleepy Hollow Stakes. Rice had thought about waiting until his 3-year-old year to run Arctic Arrogance around two turns, but instead chose to run him in the Remsen, a two-turn, 1 1/8-mile race, when the race didn’t come up particularly strong. :: DRF New Year Sale: Save up to 50% on handicapping essentials - DRF Past Performances, Clocker Reports, and more! “This horse has struck me that he would be best at a flat mile, and I really thought we should try two turns as a 3-year-old but you can’t walk away from what falls right in front of you,” Rice said. Arctic Arrogance ran a game race in the Remsen, duking it out from the start with Duybuynell, and while he came up a half-length short, Arctic Arrogance finished 11 1/4 lengths clear of favored Tuskegee Airmen. “I thought he ran great,” Rice said. Arctic Arrogance drew post 6 and will be ridden by Jose Lezcano in the Jerome. Rice claimed Valenzan Day for $50,000 out of a seven-length victory going seven furlongs on Dec. 4. A son of Khoza, Valenzan Day won three of eight races for trainer Rudy Rodriguez and competed in three stakes in the spring and summer. He ran third of seven in the Tremont at Belmont in May. The Jerome will be his first start beyond seven furlongs. “He’s got enough racing experience under his belt,” said Rice. “The way he’s built, the way he’s made, his pedigree all suggest a mile would suit him.” Rice named Jose Gomez to ride Valenzan Day, who drew post 3. Though Gomez is a five-pound apprentice, he does not get that weight advantage in stakes races. In post order, the Jerome field comprises Neural Network, a debut winning New York-bred for Chad Brown; Circling the Drain, winner of a maiden $40,000 claimer for Brittany Russell; Valenzan Day; Lugan Knight, a Michael McCarthy trainee who finished third to Smarty Jones winner Victory Formation last out; Andiamo a Firenze, a half-brother to 2018 Jerome winner Firenze Fire trained by Kelly Breen; Arctic Arrogance; General Banker, winner of the $500,000 Great White Way division of the New  York Stallion Series for Jimmy Ferraro; and Narciso Dali, recent winner of a maiden $75,000 claimer for Amira Chichakly. :: DRF Bets players have exclusive access to FREE DRF Past Performances - Classic or Formulator! Join today.  The Jerome will share billing on Saturday’s 10-race card with the rescheduled $150,000 Queens County for older dirt males. The lineup for the Queens County, which drew 11 horses, underwent a slight change from last Saturday. Discovery winner Eloquist and Plot the Dots, fourth in last Saturday’s Robert Manfuso Stakes, were new entrants in the 1 1/8-mile race. Eloquist takes the place of Ridin With Biden as trainer Butch Reid, who trains both, opted to run the latter in Wednesday’s Kris Kringle Stakes at Parx. The remainder of the Queens County entrants from last week, topped by Law Professor and Unbridled Bomber, are back. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.