2025 Eclipse Awards: Shisospicy

Shisospicy was red-hot in 2025. The front-running gray won four stakes and made history by becoming the first 3-year-old filly to win the Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Her gate-to-wire win produced the biggest margin in the 18-year history of the race.

The 2 1/2-length win capped an ambitious campaign by Shisospicy, an Eclipse Award finalist as champion 3-year-old filly, female sprinter, and female turf horse.

Shisospicy, trained by Jose D’Angelo and owned by Morplay Racing, never stayed in one place for long in 2025. Her seven starts were at seven tracks in four states and two countries. However, the season did not start well.

Following a 2024 campaign in which won 1 of 2 starts on dirt, Shisospicy returned in January 2025. She was favored to win the Mockingbird Stakes, a dirt sprint for fillies at Oaklawn Park. Shisospicy pressed the pace, opened up, and got worn down. That was it for dirt.

Shisospicy subsequently switched to turf and went on a tear. She wired an allowance sprint in February at Gulfstream Park, then met stakes fillies at Keeneland. Favored in the Limestone Stakes in April, Shisospicy sped to the lead and won by a half-length. A month later, she was favored again, this time in the Grade 3 Mamzelle Stakes at Churchill Downs.

:: Full list of 2025 Eclipse Awards finalists, including profile stories

Jose Ortiz subbed for regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr., and Shisospicy crushed. She pressed the pace, took command, and drew off by 4 1/4 lengths. With her first graded stakes win, the filly’s value surged.

Shisospicy began her career for Morplay, which was founded by Rich Mendez with son, Josh. Shisospicy, by Mitole and bred in Kentucky by Bill and Corrine Heiligbrodt, was initially purchased as a yearling for $200,000 by Mendez associates Randy Hartley and Dean DeRenzo. Morplay subsequently acquired ownership and took on a partner after the Mamzelle. Shisospicy made her final three starts in 2025 for Morplay and Qatar Racing.

In June, Shisospicy shipped to Royal Ascot for the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup for 3-year-olds of either gender. It was a lot to ask. Shisospicy contested the pace and faded to 15th. Time to regroup. By September, Shisospicy had trained well for D’Angelo, and was ready to go.

In the Grade 2 Music City Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Kentucky Downs, reunited with regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr., Shisospicy returned to form. She dueled early and ran away late to win by three lengths. It was time to swing for the fences.

Shisospicy shipped to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, a race in which 3-year-old fillies had gone 0 for 8. Shisospicy ran them off their feet. She sped to the lead inside, took heat, and widened.

Following the Breeders’ Cup, the Morplay-Qatar partnership was dissolved at the Fasig-Tipton November sale. Although Shisospicy did not meet her $5.2 million reserve, Morplay bought out Qatar to regain full ownership.

Shisospicy won five races and $2,044,645 in 2025. She is the first Grade 1 winner sired by Mitole, the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner and Eclipse Award winner as outstanding sprinter. Plans call for Shisospicy to campaign as a 4-year-old in 2026.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.