Spirit of St Louis returns to Belmont looking for another Mohawk win
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ELMONT, N.Y. – Spirit of St Louis has been racing long enough that his appearance in Saturday’s $200,000 Mohawk Stakes at Belmont Park is a homecoming of sorts.
A 7-year-old gelding, Spirit of St Louis won his turf debut at Belmont in June 2023, a month before the track ceased operations for 38 months, as the surfaces and the grandstand were demolished and rebuilt. Nine more turf wins and nearly $2 million more in earnings later, Spirit of St Louis is back at Belmont to bid for his third victory in the Mohawk Stakes on Empire Showcase Day.
His four-length victory that day 39 months ago was the start of a run where Spirit of St Louis won seven of eight starts, five of them stakes, including the 2023 Mohawk at Aqueduct. Spirit of St Louis would win the Mohawk again in 2024, and then in 2025, won two Grade 1 stakes. Spirit of St Louis would lose seven straight races before turning the clock back by winning the West Point at Saratoga, a turf course over which he had previously struggled.
Perhaps his performance in Saturday’s Mohawk will help dictate whether Spirit of St Louis returns for his 8-year-old season or starts a path to a second career.
Spirit of St Louis is 3 for 6 at the 1 1/8-mile distance of the Mohawk, a distance at which none of the other five members of the field have run.
Spirit of St Louis will meet familiar foes in Sounds Like a Plan and George Briggs, the latter a horse previously trained by Brown and now with Miguel Clement.
Sounds Like a Plan finished second, beaten a half-length by Spirit of St Louis in the West Point, before running fifth in the Artie Schiller on Oct. 2. He came from off the pace that day, but could find himself on or at least close to the lead on Saturday in a six-horse field without much early pace signed on. Trainer Horacio De Paz is removing blinkers from Sounds Like a Plan’s equipment.
“Last time they really pressed him and he gets on the engine pretty good when they get next to him,” De Paz said. “Last week he breezed really good without blinkers. Ricardo [Santana Jr.] breezed him and I asked him about it and he said I think he’s mature enough now.”
Annexperience’s three career wins have all come in front-running fashion, two of them on dirt, one on turf.
George Briggs won a second-level allowance in his first start for Clement and then was third in both the Kingston and West Point at Saratoga. He is typically coming late so perhaps the added distance will benefit him.
Ticonderoga
The card ends with the $200,000 Ticonderoga for females at 1 1/8 miles on turf, arguably the most competitive field of the day.
Many in this group of 10 – plus two also eligibles – have taken turns beating each other. Being Betty beat Midnight Concerto in the Mount Vernon in June and was an unlucky nose loser to that one in the Yaddo, as she was inhibited by a poor start, which caused her to try and come from last, something she had never previously done.
“I think it was incredible the race she ran. It’s not her style at all,” trainer Lisa Bartkowski said. “She’s never done one single thing wrong in the gate; she finally moved right as they sprung the latch.”
Bartkowski hopes that Being Betty’s strong performance from off the pace indicates that she can handle the added distance.
“Maybe if she settles a little bit she’ll be able to relax and that will enable her to get that extra sixteenth,” Bartkowski said.
With a clean break, Being Betty should get a forward position under Antonio Fresu and will have to hold off the closers such as Midnight Concerto, Awesome Czech, and Sail With the Wind. Those three were separated by a neck in the Yaddo.
Before winning the Yaddo, Midnight Concerto won an open-company allowance race at 1 3/16 miles, so this nine-furlong distance should be within her scope.
Awesome Czech, last year’s Ticonderoga winner, had an uncomfortable trip in the All Along Stakes at Laurel last out. She was in between and in behind horses, and then after attempting to rally wide, she drifted in late and was beaten only a half-length by Mischief in Motion.
“The ground had a bit of give to it, too. She ran through it, but it’s not like she really liked it,” De Paz said. “It wasn’t a bad effort. I’d call it a spotty effort. She was still trying to compete.”
Turf Sprint Championship
Waralo will look to avenge his one-length loss to Twenty Six Black in last year’s New York Turf Sprint Championship when the two meet again in Saturday’s $200,000 turf sprint going six furlongs.
Since that race last October, Waralo has run four times, winning two stakes and suffering narrow defeats in two open-company races. Most recently, Waralo was caught late by longshot Egyptian Mau and was beaten a neck in the Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint Championship four weeks ago.
That day, he got involved in a protracted duel. Saturday, he looms the controlling speed under Jose Lezcano.
Twenty Six Black, who won the Harvey Pack at Saratoga in July, finished fifth, beaten only 1 3/4 lengths in the Belmont Turf Sprint.
Bold Journey is 1-5-1 from 10 turf starts and did finish a close third behind Waralo in the Ashley T. Cole at Saratoga in June.
Dakota Country has won his last three, albeit against lesser competion, and now goes out first time for Mike Maker.
Filly and Mare Turf Sprint
Provided she can handle an extra sixteenth of a mile, Shoot It True, trained by Wesley Ward, looms a standout in a field of nine entered for the inaugural $200,000 New York Filly and Mare Turf Sprint Championship.
Shoot It True has faced New York-breds just twice in her career, winning the Notebook Stakes on dirt as a 2-year-old at Aqueduct, and a second-level turf allowance at Saratoga by three lengths in the summer of 2024. Her last win came against fellow New York-bred Highway Harmony by three lengths in an open second-level allowance in August. She came from off the pace that day.
“I like that,” Ward said.
In June, Shoot It True finished third, beaten 1 1/2 lengths by Roja in the Grade 2 Intercontinental. Five horses from that race have since come back to win stakes, including In Our Time, who won the Grade 1 Ladies Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs.
This will be Shoot It True’s first try at six furlongs.
Highway Harmony and Annascaul appear to be the most likely ones with a chance to upset Shoot It True.
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