Spirit of St Louis paid the price for winning five consecutive stakes when he had to carry 126 pounds, conceding six pounds to Dakota Gold, in the West Point Stakes at Saratoga, a race he ultimately lost to Dakota Gold by a nose. Following a decent try in Grade 1 company last out, Spirit of St Louis is back with New York-breds and back at level weights with Dakota Gold when the two meet again in Sunday’s $200,000 Mohawk Stakes at Aqueduct. Trainer Chad Brown cited the weight assignment as the reason for defeat after Spirit of St Louis was beaten a nose by Dakota Gold in the West Point, his first loss since the 2023 West Point. The 1 1/8 miles of the Ashley T. Cole at Aqueduct in September prompted Brown to take a shot in the Grade 1 Coolmore Turf Mile, a race where Spirit of St Louis finished fifth, beaten 2 1/2 lengths, by the Brown-trained Carl Spackler. In addition to being with New York-breds, Spirit of St Louis is back on an Aqueduct course over which he is 4 for 4 – including a victory in the Mohawk last year. Meanwhile, Dakota Gold is 0 for 5 over Aqueduct’s turf. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets.Danny Gargan, trainer of Dakota Gold, acknowledged Aqueduct is not his horse’s best course. “He’s doing really good, he’ll run big, but he’s a length or two less at Aqueduct than he is at Belmont or Saratoga,” Gargan said. Hush of a Storm is coming off a half-length victory over Dakota Gold in the Cole run here Sept. 27. That was his second start since being claimed by Brad Cox for $45,000 for owner Sandy Goldfarb. Prior to the Cole, Hush of a Storm finished third in an open-company stakes run over the synthetic surface at Presque Isle Downs. Flavien Prat, who is 3 for 4 lifetime on Hush of a Storm, rides him back Sunday. The 7-year-old City Man, an earner of $1.2 million, is making the 36th and likely final start of his career in this spot. He has won 10 stakes, including the 2022 Mohawk, and earned $1.2 million. Last year, City Man finished second behind Spirit of St Louis in the Mohawk. Jerry the Nipper has five stakes-placings since his last win, a July 2023 allowance at Saratoga. Itsallcomintogetha, Kaz Sugar Bank, Fidelightcayut, Ruse, and Locke and Key complete the field. Ticonderoga Stakes Moonage Daydream will go for her third consecutive New York-bred turf stakes victory when she heads a field of eight fillies and mares entered in the $200,000 Ticonderoga Stakes at 1 1/16 miles. A filly who began the year winning a six-furlong race, Moonage Daydream won the Yaddo going 1 1/16 miles on Aug. 26 at Saratoga and the John Hettinger at 1 1/8 miles on Sept. 26 at Aqueduct. “She’s one of those horses who gets better the older she gets,” trainer Jorge Abreu said of the 4-year-old daughter or Candy Ride. “She’s stronger now. Before, she used to run her race and was real picky after the race, stand in a corner, didn’t eat much. Now, she’s a different horse.” Moonage Daydream stalked the pace in the Yaddo and made all the pace in the Hettinger, the latter under Flavien Prat. “I hate horses on the lead because you always set up the race for somebody,” Abreu said. “Prat told me there was no pace and the way it was going the first half of the race [51.58 seconds] she had to be able to finish.” Moonage Daydream, the 126-pound highweight, breaks from the rail under Prat on Sunday. Whatlovelookslike chased Moonage Daydream to the wire in the Hettinger and fell just a head short while finishing 4 1/4 lengths clear of the rest of the field. This will be her third start off a layoff for Todd Pletcher. Whatlovelookslike is 0-2-1 from six starts at Aqueduct. Silver Skillet won the Port Washington Stakes here in July but was the beaten favorite in both the Yaddo and Hettinger. In the Hettinger, Silver Skillet was bumped early and tossed her head going into the first turn. She raced between horses down the backside but did show some late interest when put in the clear, getting beat a neck for third. Christophe Clement, who trains Silver Skillet, also will send out New Ginya, who has not started since finishing fourth as the favorite in the 2023 Hettinger. “It took us a long time to get her back soundness-wise, but she’s doing very well,” Clement said. Caldwell Luvs Gold ran a respectable third in the Grade 3 Jockey Club Oaks in her first try routing on turf. Masterof the Tunes, Collaboration, and Stonewall Star complete the field. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.