Shisospicy turns up the heat for Group 2 1351 Turf Sprint

RIYADH – An exceptional cluster of equine stars continues to take shape for the world’s richest-ever race meeting, the US$39 million (S$50 million) Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz racecourse on Feb 14.

The 2025 winner and multi-continental champion Forever Young will headline the main event, the US$20 million Group 1 Saudi Cup (1,800m), while the lucrative undercard – growing at haste in grade and prestige – has attracted its own luminaries in respective races.

Chief among those is Morplay Racing’s Jose Francisco D’Angelo-trained Shisospicy – freshly crowned champion female sprinter at the 2025 America Eclipse Awards – who headlines the US$2 million Group 2 1351 Turf Sprint.

The daughter of superstar sprinter-miler Mitole capped her 2025 campaign with a comprehensive victory in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (1,000m) at Del Mar, easily besting the boys.

Before that, the four-year-old landed an equally dominant victory at Kentucky Downs’ Grade 2 Music City Stakes (1,300m).

Shisospicy now seeks her third seven-figure prize pot in as many consecutive starts.

“She’s doing great,” said D’Angelo. “She’s maturing and getting more focused as she comes into this year.

“She’s growing and improving, which is great to see because I feel like we are going to see the best of her this year.

“She has shown us and accomplished so much already, so I’m excited for the future for her and for us as a team.

“The longer distance than the five furlongs (of the Breeders’ Cup) won’t be a problem.”

D’Angelo is brimming with confidence when it comes to the grey galloper’s ability to tackle the longer trips.

“A big question mark for her was when I entered her at Kentucky Downs and I argued with a lot of people before that, because they thought she was only a five-furlong horse,” he said.

“I was very confident in her, even though Kentucky Downs has up and down hills and is very testing, so that 6½ furlongs feels more like a seven-furlong or a mile.

“She won that race sharp and even did it after her long trip to Ascot and back earlier in the summer.

“I feel like the long stretch in Saudi will be no problem for her. She can run this distance without any issue, especially on a flat course, which is even better for her.”

Before her Music City victory, she was taken to Royal Ascot to compete in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup (1,200m) on June 20, 2025. Then, a poor start dulled her usual early advantage and she ultimately weakened to 15th at her seventh start.

With that being the lone recent blemish, she is a winner of six from nine starts, and five of them came from her past six efforts.

Following her Breeders’ Cup win, Shisospicy went through Fasig-Tipton’s “The Night of the Stars” November Sale, where Morplay Racing flexed its confidence again, buying out co-owner Qatar Racing with US$5.2 million.

“We don’t want to overdo it with her, so we decided to go straight to Saudi,” said Rich Mendez, principal of Morplay Racing, on Thoroughbred Daily News (TDN) Writers’ Room.

“There aren’t big races for turf sprinters here in America during that time and the race is worth $2 million... there’s some competition on that side that she hasn’t faced, so we thought it would be fun to give it a try.

“She has been working lights-out and we feel like she’ll have an opportunity out there to do the same thing she’s done here.”

D’Angelo, whose Howard Wolowitz finished 10th in the 2025 edition of 1351 Turf Sprint, also claimed third in the 2024 Group 3 Saudi Derby (1,600m) with 2025 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (1,200m) winner Bentornato.

He had also taken horses to the UAE for the Dubai World Cup meeting in 2021 and 2024, as well as nearly won his first Royal Ascot race when Gabaldon was second in the 2024 Listed Windsor Castle Stakes.

“I have learned every year that I travel with horses, whether it’s to Saudi, Dubai or Royal Ascot, we feel like, as a team, we are prepared even more for this experience because of that,” reflected D’Angelo.

“The Saudi Cup people have been very good with us, which makes this easier as well, and they have been on top of everything, even the small details and great staff for the horses.”

Shisospicy will be the next international start for Team D’Angelo, departing Florida for Riyadh on Feb 2, while Bentornato is being pointed towards the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen (1,200m) at Meydan in late March.

“We are hoping to give Shisospicy one more serious workout before she leaves. She’s a horse who doesn’t need so many workouts,” he said.

“After Ascot, for example, from late June to early September, she had only four major workouts.

“That said, she is ready and most importantly, she knows where the finish line is.” JOCKEY CLUB OF SAUDI ARABIA