Mitole’s ‘Rising Star’ Shisospicy Stays Perfect on Lawn in Mamzelle

[Wandering Eyes]

Morplay Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Shisospicy remained unbeaten in three starts in turf sprints, streaking away through the final sixteenth of a mile to post a decisive and impressive victory in Saturday's GIII Mamzelle Stakes at Churchill Downs, her first success at the graded level.

An all-the-way winner of the Limestone Stakes at Keeneland on Apr. 11, Shisospicy was one of the first to break the line, but Dreamaway (Flameaway), who ran on nicely to round out the exacta over ground that was still retaining some moisture after those heavy early-April rains in Fayette County, was ridden aggressively by Joe Bravo and outfooted the favorite to the front, covering the first couple of furlongs in :21.72 over this much sounder surface.

The gray filly was working hard to stay on top, with Shisospicy hounding her every move, and when Jose Ortiz said go, the response was instantaneous, as she widened at will to solidify her position at the top of this specialist division. Kilwin, a good fourth after covering stacks of ground from the outside post in the Limestone, closed stoutly at the fence for second on Saturday, while Mechaya flew home down the center to round out the triple on her seasonal debut.

“In her last start the ground was soft and today the track was a lot better for her,” said winning trainer Jose D'Angelo, who ruled out a shot at the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. “In her last workout, I tried to relax her a little bit and close. She was able to do that today–relax and close hard. Our plan now is to go to Saratoga with her.”

Added Morplay's Rich Mendez: “Our goal is always to have fun and this was a lot of fun. We knew after the Limestone we had a lot of confidence with her moving forward. She's run so well in all of her starts. Her performance today really solidified that.”

Having graduated by better than 16 lengths on debut to earn 'Rising Star' honors at Gulfstream Park last October, Shisospicy was placed in the Nov. 30 Fern Creek Stakes at Churchill and in the Jan. 4 Mockingbird Stakes at Oaklawn before trying her hand on the turf. A wire-to-wire winner back at Gulfstream Feb. 5, she made all the running in the Limestone, holding off Dreamaway by a half-length, with a similar margin back to Abientot (Not This Time) in third.

Pedigree Notes:

Shisospicy is the fifth winner at the graded level for her Spendthrift-based stallion. The winner's dam was a $90,000 purchase by Mitole owners Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodts out of the 2017 OBS January Sale and was never out of the money in her seven career appearances. The second of two winners produced by Mischief Galore, Shisospicy has a 2-year-old half-brother by the Heiligbrodts' Yaupon, who was a $75,000 KEENOV weanling turned $175,000 FTKOCT yearling, and her foal of 2024 is a filly by the same stallion. Mischief Galore was most recently covered by Early Voting.

Back-to-back stakes wins for Shisospicy in the G3 Mamzelle at @ChurchillDowns! @jose93_ortiz was aboard for trainer @JFDAngelo.

TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/Tc1s5ZL4Gp

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) May 10, 2025

Saturday, Churchill Downs
MAMZELLE S.-GIII, $224,625, Churchill Downs, 5-10, 3yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:01.46, fm.
1–SHISOSPICY, 120, f, 3, by Mitole
            1st Dam: Mischief Galore, by Into Mischief
            2nd Dam: Maren's Melody, by Unbridled's Song
            3rd Dam: Maren's Meadow, by Meadowlake
'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($100,000 Ylg '23
KEEJAN; $200,000 Ylg '23 FTKJUL; $300,000 RNA 2yo '24
OBSAPR). O-Morplay Racing LLC; B-Bill & Corinne Heiligbrodt
(KY); T-Jose Francisco D'Angelo; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $129,820.
Lifetime Record: 6-4-1-1, $415,370. Werk Nick Rating: C+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Kilwin, 118, f, 3, Twirling Candy–Spanish Star, by Blame.
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($225,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $575,000
RNA 2yo '24 KEECHA). O-BBN Racing LLC; B-Gilder-Schwarz
Farms LLC (KY); T-George R. Arnold II. $42,200.
3–Mechaya, 118, f, 3, Liam's Map–Malibu Rainbow, by Malibu
Moon. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($70,000
RNA Ylg '23 KEESEP; $60,000 Ylg '23 OBSOCT; $150,000 2yo
'24 OBSMAR). O-Doubledown Stables, Inc.; B-Maple Lane Farm
(KY); T-James P. DiVito. $21,100.
Margins: 4 1/4, 2 1/4, HF. Odds: 1.40, 3.04, 26.60.
Also Ran: Dreamaway, Laurice, Bunratty Manor (Ire), It Ain't Two (GB), Civetta, Abientot, Mighty Eriu (Ire), Bonne Fille, Anakarina, Stay Classy. Scratched: Hey Bertie, Lovely Emma, Me Governor, Serving Time (GB).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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