‘Rising Star’ Shisospicy Shines In Music City, BC Turf Sprint On the Docket

[Wandering Eyes]

Morplay Racing and Qatar Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Shisospicy (Mitole) faced a couple of niggling questions entering Saturday's GII Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs. Already accomplished over sharper turf sprint trips, how would she handle the extended 6 1/2-furlong distance of the $2-million contest, one, and two, what sort of lingering hangover might there be from an overseas trip to face the boys in the G1 Commonwealth Cup, when she dropped away tamely to finish in the latter third of that 21-strong field?

Well, it took fewer than 75 second for the fleet-footed gray filly to answer those questions, and the end result was a dominating victory to get her on track for the rest of her sophomore season.

Just the third betting choice at 13-4 behind favored Kilwin (Twirling Candy), returning to the grass after upsetting the GI Test Stakes on the dirt Saratoga, and Juddmonte's dual British Group 3 winner Tabiti (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Shisospicy was first to break the line from her wide draw, but soon had company in the form of longshot Gata Brazil (Into Mischief) through an opening quarter-mile down the hill in :21.83.

Going along under a tight hold while retaining a foothold at the fence beneath Irad Ortiz, Jr., Shisospicy was sent into the lead 2 1/2 furlongs from home and proved not for catching down the lane. Fellow Jose D'Angelo trainee Cloe (Tiz the Law) railed through to follow the move of her stablemate, but was no match late, while Tabiti weaved her way through to win a photo for third.

Named a 'Rising Star' on debut and twice stakes-placed from three starts on the dirt to begin her career, Shisospicy proved equally proficient on the grass with consecutive victories in Gulfstream allowance company in February, in the Apr. 11 Limestone Stakes at Keeneland and in the GIII Mamzelle Stakes at Churchill in May. Those were both 5 1/2-furlong tests, and despite first ruling out a trip to Royal Ascot, D'Angelo ultimately green-lighted the journey after Qatar Racing acquired an interest in the filly. But Shisospicy had run her race by the time they met the rising ground at Ascot and could do no better than 15th.

Despite the sub-par effort across the pond, D'Angelo lost no faith in Shisospicy.

“I was very confident, because Shisospicy ran such a big race in the Mamzelle (at 5 1/2 furlongs, winning by 4 1/4 lengths) against good competition,” D'Angelo said. “And Cloe ran good at Santa Anita at the 6 1/2 (downhill turf course in the GIII Senorita Stakes). It was a very unlucky trip, her first time over that course. She was like, 'Where am I?' She ran third by a length. So, I was very confident.”

Pedigree Notes:

One of six winners at the graded level for her Spendthrift-based stallion, Shisospicy is out of a mare that cost Mitole owners Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt some $90,000 as a short-yearling at 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, $175,000 FTKOCT yearling and $250,000 FTMMAY breezer who has since been sent to the United Arab Emirates. Mischief Galore was sold on for $40,000 at KEEJAN in 2024 and produced a Yaupon filly last April. She was bred to Jackie's Warrior this past breeding season.

All being equal, Shisospicy will make her next appearance at Del Mar on the first Saturday in November in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

“Shisospicy at five furlongs on the turf, she's so fast,” he said.

Saturday, Kentucky Downs
AGS MUSIC CITY S.-GII, $1,867,100, Kentucky Downs, 9-6, 3yo, f, 6 1/2fT, 1:14.54, gd.
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
($100,000 Ylg '23 KEEJAN; $200,000 Ylg '23 FTKJUL; $300,000
RNA 2yo '24 OBSAPR). 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Morplay Racing LLC
and Qatar Racing, Ltd.; B-Bill Heiligbrodt & Corinne Heiligbrodt
(KY); T-Jose Francisco D'Angelo; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.. $1,154,900.
Lifetime Record: 8-5-1-1, $1,570,270. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Cloe, 120, f, 3, Tiz the Law–Nuhood, by Smart Strike.
($80,000 Ylg '23 FTKJUL; $145,000 RNA 2yo '24 OBSMAR).
O-Lugamo Racing Stable LLC; B-Crosshaven Bloodstock (KY);
T-Jose Francisco D'Angelo. $379,000.
3–Tabiti (GB), 120, f, 3, Kingman (GB)–Lilyfire, by First Defence.
O/B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd. (GB); T-Ralph Beckett. $89,500.
Margins: 3, 1 1/4, HF. Odds: 3.21, 25.35, 2.90.
Also Ran: Classic Q, Jungle Peace (Ire), Abientot, It Ain't Two (GB), Kilwin, Shezafunkydrummer, Pondering, Italian Soiree, Gata Brazil. Scratched: Hoshiana (Fr), Me Governor, Multiplication, Pop Idol.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

 

SHISOSPICY ($8.42) burned her competition in the $2,000,000 Music City Stakes (G2) at @KYDownsRacing! The three-year-old filly by @SpendthriftFarm's Mitole had @iradortiz in the irons for trainer @DangeloStable and owners @MorplayRacing and @Qatar_Racing. pic.twitter.com/eM6uKVEpfH

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) September 6, 2025

The post ‘Rising Star’ Shisospicy Shines In Music City, BC Turf Sprint On the Docket appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

View the full article