DEL MAR, Calif. – She had a post toward the outside, was the only 3-year-old filly in the field, and was 15th of 21 in her only other Group 1 race. None of that mattered for Shisospicy in Saturday’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar. Ridden by a confident Irad Ortiz, Jr., Shisospicy broke sharply from post 10 in a field of 12, quickly took a one-length lead, and proved unstoppable in the five-furlong race, winning by 2 1/2 lengths. The result was quite an introduction to racing against older horses for a filly who had won three turf sprint stakes in Florida and Kentucky for 3-year-old fillies since April. The win demonstrated why co-owner Rich Mendez made bold predictions in the days before the race. An outside post was never an issue in his mind. “I looked at the guys and said, ‘It doesn’t matter,’” Mendez said. “She breathes different air.” Shisospicy ($12.60) was timed in 55.24 seconds, and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 105. ON SALE NOW: DRF Breeders' Cup Packages! Get everything you need to win and save big. The $1 million BC Turf Sprint was Shisospicy’s second-richest win of her nine-race career. She won the Grade 2, $2 million Music City Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 6 1/2 furlongs by three lengths at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 6. Similar to Mendez, Ortiz spoke confidently about Shisospicy’s chances. “Before the race, Irad said, ‘I’m about to turn her on and turn her off,’” recalled Mendez. At the start, Ortiz urged Shisospicy to the front and looked to his inside several times to evaluate the competition. Not far from the gate, Ortiz had sufficient room to move Shisospicy into a ground-saving position. Ortiz had Shisospicy on an inside path with more than three furlongs remaining. Shisospicy had a two-length lead halfway through the race and led by three lengths at the eighth pole. Ag Bullet, a 5-year-old mare with six turf sprint stakes wins in the last two years, closed from fifth to finish second at 5-1. “She ran great,” trainer Richard Baltas said. “I thought the winner got away with it. No one pressured her.” Khaadem, the senior member of the field as a 9-year-old, closed from 10th under jockey Frankie Dettori. “He’s always a bit slow out of the gate,” Dettori said. “He’s a 9-year-old gelding that ran with the best in the world. Third is amazing.” Reef Runner finished fourth, followed by Motorious, Invincible Papa, Bucanero Fuerte, Governor Sam, Bring Theband Home, Puro Magic, and Bear River. She’s Quality was pulled up shortly after the start by jockey Colin Keane. A 4-year-old filly who placed in five group-level sprint stakes in Britain and France earlier this year, She’s Quality was vanned off and taken to the stables for evaluation, according to a statement issued by the Breeders’ Cup. She’s Quality showed “some right hind lameness,” according to veterinarian Scott Hay. Within 90 minutes of the race, she had returned to the international quarantine barn, where she will be monitored, according to a second statement. The race had a key scratch on Friday with the withdrawal of Arizona Blaze on the advice of veterinarians. Arizona Blaze won the Group 1 Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh in Ireland in September. Shisospicy is trained by Jose D’Angelo, who followed the BC Turf Sprint with a win by Bentornato in the BC Sprint, the afternoon’s next race. Those wins marked D'Angelo's first in Breeders' Cup competition. Additionally, Shisospicy became the first 3-year-old filly to win the BC Turf Sprint and the first horse exiting a Kentucky Downs start to win a Breeders' Cup race. Shisospicy, by Mitole, has won 6 of 9 starts and earned $2,044,645. The win on Saturday was worth $520,000. In October 2024, Shisospicy won a maiden race at six furlongs on dirt at Gulfstream Park by 16 1/4 lengths in her first start. She has started only in stakes since then. Shisospicy has won four stakes and has finished in the top three in eight starts in the United States. The only blemish in her career is a 15th-place finish by 7 3/4 lengths in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup for 3-year-olds at six furlongs at Royal Ascot in Britain in June. Shisospicy did not race again until the Music City Stakes. She disputed the early pace in that race before winning by three lengths. “I said earlier that she’s the best turf sprinter in the country at the 3-year-old level,” Mendez said. “Now, she’s the best turf sprinter in the world.” With that statement, Mendez could create a stern argument with followers of the Hong Kong star Ka Ying Rising, the winner of the Group 1, $13.09 million Everest Stakes in Australia on Oct. 18. Ka Ying Rising has won his last 14 starts. Mendez was joined at a post-race press conference by his son, Josh, and son-in-law, Cameron Dulgar. The family operates as Morplay Racing and co-owns Shisospicy with Qatar Racing. The Mendezes own Rich Music, a Miami-based Latin music label. Josh Mendez described the win in the BC Turf Sprint as “special.” “Coming from the music business and having success, and coming into this that is the total opposite of entertainment and music, and to be successful, it just solidifies that there is something special about my old man,” Josh Mendez said. “I’m following in his footsteps. This was a special moment for all of us.” Dulgar has had a presence on behalf of Morplay Racing at prominent sales in recent months. Along with the rest of the family, he was confident Shisospicy would perform to expectations. “We knew what she was coming in,” Dulgar said. “Her speed was commonplace. We knew she’d show up as she has in every race. If she broke clean and got a clean trip, we knew it was hers to win or lose.” Shisospicy is in the midst of a fascinating career, and one on the verge of change. She is scheduled to be sold at Monday’s Fasig-Tipton November Sale in Kentucky. Ag Bullet is scheduled to be sold at the same sale. Rich Mendez warned on Saturday that Shisospicy’s status could change. “She’s become a family member,” Rich Mendez said. “It’s going to be hard. To be honest, I don’t know if I want to pull the trigger on selling her. She owes nothing. We’ll see. If she does stay with us, she’ll get a few months off.” – Additional reporting by Marcus Hersh :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.