A horse who flopped in England. A horse who has traveled from England. And a horse who has never been anywhere near England. It should come down to Shisospicy, Tabiti, and Kilwin in the Music City Stakes on Saturday at Kentucky Downs. The 6 1/2-furlong Music City, a Grade 2 worth a mere $2 million, attracted an overflow field of 16 3-year-old fillies, with a dozen in the field’s main body. Favored on the morning line at 3-1, and the likely post-time favorite, is Shisospicy, who has shipped to Kentucky Downs from Saratoga for trainer Jose D’Angelo. D’Angelo hopes for more luck than he found last weekend at Kentucky Downs with Howard Wolowitz in the Turf Sprint. An even-money favorite, Howard Wolowitz got trapped on the rail with little homestretch running room, and by the time he found a way through on the inside, it was too late to run down victorious Bear River. :: Kentucky Downs Package Available Now - Get All Access PPs and more for just $20! Shisospicy won’t get that kind of trip. She’s a speed horse, a likely leader from post 10 under Irad Ortiz Jr. Shisospicy showed dirt ability after making the races last October, but the filly hit a new level when D’Angelo switched her to turf in February, winning in succession a Gulfstream first-level allowance, the Limestone Stakes at Keeneland, and the Mamzelle on May 10 at Churchill, where she peaked with a 4 1/4-length score. The Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot in June did not go so well. Shisospicy showed her customary early speed but little else, weakening to finish 15th of 21. D’Angelo believes a race in Europe will have Shisospicy primed for Kentucky Downs’s European-style course. Maybe, maybe not. The Music City is run around a bend, the Commonwealth down a straight course, and Kentucky Downs has more dips and quirks than Ascot. Moreover, Shisospicy in the Commonwealth weakened badly in the final furlong while making her first grass start beyond 5 1/2 furlongs, and Saturday’s race could push her distance limits. Tabiti, a Juddmonte homebred based in England with trainer Ralph Beckett, should prove one of Shisospicy’s main pace rivals under Frankie Dettori. Tabiti showed talent from the start, winning her debut by 3 1/4 lengths over Zanzoun, who in her lone 2025 start won the Group 3 Nell Gwyn. Tabiti improved in a winning her second outing before flopping in the Group 1 Fillies Mile, and when she returned this year in the Sandringham Handicap at Royal Ascot, Beckett had fitted her with blinkers. Tabiti, breaking sharply as always, showed speed and held for third in the Sandringham, a straight mile, while giving 13 and 16 pounds to the two fillies who beat her. In the Group 3 Oak Tree on July 30 at Goodwood, Tabiti again led and appeared to have the race in hand with a half-furlong remaining before her stablemate Saqqara Sands made a late bid to earn a dead heat. No Music City starter has run better than Kilwin did Aug. 2 winning the Grade 1 Test at Saratoga, where she stumbled badly at the start and still got up by a neck. The Test as well as Kilwin’s previous start, a sharp Churchill win, came on dirt, but Kilwin finished furiously last season at Kentucky Downs to win the Untapable Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs. “It’s hard to argue she’s not as good on dirt as turf, and we’re probably going back to dirt, but we’ve had this race in mind all along,” said Rusty Arnold, who trains Kilwin for BBN Racing. “She came out of the last race very good, didn’t back up from it at all.” The morning line has Classic Q as the 9-2 third choice but all eight of her starts have come around two turns; there’s no evidence she can sprint. More interesting is It Ain’t Two, who has run decently in three of her four North American starts, finding typical turf sprints too short and mile contests too far. And where did It Ain’t Two have her first 13 races? England. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.