LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Shisospicy, the champion female sprinter of 2025, makes her delayed return to the races Friday at Churchill Downs, but the Grade 2, $500,000 Unbridled Sidney Stakes is no soft-landing spot. The multiple graded winner and defending Unbridled Sidney winner Queen Maxima heads the eight challengers Shisospicy will have to contend with in the 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint stakes. A victory in last November’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint capped a sensational 5-for-7 campaign for Shisospicy that included a victory in the Grade 3 Mamzelle Stakes at Churchill and two other turf sprint stakes wins. The campaign was deemed by Eclipse Award voters as worthy of a championship in a division typically dominated by dirt horses. Shisospicy also was an Eclipse finalist for both champion 3-year-old filly and female turf horse. Shisospicy, trained by Jose D’Angelo, was being prepared to make her seasonal debut in the 1351 Turf Sprint at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 14, but she developed a skin infection that caused her to stay home. D’Angelo took his time bringing her back, eschewing a possible April return for this spot. “I don’t want to rush the filly. I want to give the right time to her and let her decide where we are going,” D’Angelo said. “I feel we could have run at Keeneland, but that could be short for her on time. I’d rather skip that race and prepare her better for Churchill Downs. She’s doing great.” :: DRF Kentucky Derby Package: Save on Past Performances, Clocker Reports, Betting Strategies, and more. Shisospicy is very fast, but she is not speed crazy. In her victories in the Mamzelle at Churchill and the Music City at Kentucky Downs, she vied for the lead with another horse but appeared relaxed until being called upon by her rider. Moon Spun, one of two horses entered in this spot by trainer Brian Lynch, has plenty of early speed. Lynch also entered longshot Mae Town, who makes her first start since winning the Pea Patch Stakes at Ellis Park 10 months ago. “I know the pace is fast, but when she won [the Mamzelle] with Jose Ortiz, she was behind the speed,” D’Angelo said. “At Kentucky Downs, she relaxed too and made her move turning for home. We have a good position to deal with whatever scenario on Friday.” Shisospicy, who will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., breaks from post 6 under co-high weight of 125 pounds, along with Time to Dazzle. They will spot the other runners four pounds. Queen Maxima won last May’s Unbridled Sidney over good turf, capping a five-race winning streak that began the previous December. After two losses – including one at a mile – Queen Maxima won stakes at Del Mar and Santa Anita before finishing third in the Grade 3 Monrovia last month. That result came on a day when jockey Juan Hernandez was directed to bring Queen Maxima down the hill to school over the dirt surface shortly before the race. Her connections believe that disruption played a role in her defeat. “Juan said she was done when she headed back up the hill,” trainer Jeff Mullins said. “She had already run her race.” :: Get DRF Kentucky Oaks & Derby Betting Strategies by Marcus Hersh and David Aragona. Full analysis and wager recommendations! Queen Maxima has fired two bullet works over Santa Anita’s synthetic training surface in preparation for this. “Juan worked her both times, said she’d done it easy,” Mullins said. “She’s probably as good as she’s going to be. It looks like a different lineup this year.” Moon Spun had a four-race winning streak snapped in the Captiva Island over Gulfstream Park’s synthetic surface when she was outsprinted by Twirling Queen and finished eighth, beaten four lengths. Three of Moon Spun’s four wins in that streak came on turf, including the Ladies’ Turf Sprint Stakes on Feb. 7 in which she ran a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure. Haulin Ice, beaten a neck by Moon Spun in the Abundantia, will run in this race and not Saturday’s Derby City Distaff, provided there are no significant defections from that race, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “The grass is a bit of an unknown. She ran once on it, but this is a different turf course and she’s going to have to prove herself again,” Joseph said. Shoot It True was second, beaten one length by Queen Maxima, in the Sen. Ken Maddy Stakes on Oct. 31 at Del Mar. In her lone start since, Shoot It True was beaten by Buttercream Babe – also in this field – in a second-level allowance on April 4. Shoot It True has a nice outside post from which to stalk the pace under Joel Rosario. Mark Casse sends out both Creed’s Gold, second to In Our Time in the Grade 2 Giant’s Causeway on April 12 at Keeneland, and Time to Dazzle, fourth in the 1351 Turf Sprint in Saudi Arabia and in the Giant’s Causeway. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.