'Consistent' Shisospicy Wins Female Sprinter Eclipse

Once again a victory in the Breeders' Cup unlocked the door to an Eclipse Award for the champion female sprinter. Morplay Racing and Qatar Racing's Shisospicy became the 16th distaff runner in the 19-year history of the award to parlay a Breeders' Cup victory into a year-end trophy, though her accomplishment showed how the grass can be greener for some Thoroughbreds. Unlike the previous 15 females who won the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) and the Eclipse Award for the champion female sprinter in the same year, Shisospicy rode a victory over males in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) to her award at the Jan. 22 Eclipse Awards banquet. The award made the 3-year-old daughter of Mitole the first turf runner to win the coveted year-end prize since it was created in 2007. Trained by Jose D'Angelo, Shisospicy raced seven times in 2025 and registered five wins—three in graded stakes—and one second. Her lone unplaced effort came when she traveled overseas and finished 15th in the Commonwealth Cup (G1) at the Royal Ascot meet in England. "I believe she earned the award because she was so good all year long," D'Angelo said. "She ran at seven different tracks. She ran at Oaklawn, Gulfstream, Keeneland, Churchill, Kentucky Downs. She traveled to England and went to Del Mar in California for the Breeders' Cup. She was consistent all year long and did some amazing things like beating the boys and older horses in the Turf Sprint. "She's been a very special filly for me." Aside from the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, the daughter of the Into Mischief mare Mischief Galore won the Limestone Stakes at Keeneland, the Mamzelle Stakes (G3T) at Churchill Downs, and the Music City Stakes (G2T) at Kentucky Downs. She also won a Feb. 5 allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream Park in her fourth career start and first on turf. Bred by Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt in Kentucky, she has won six of nine career starts and earned $2,090,270. Morplay became the sole owner of the filly when they bought her back for $5.2 million at Fasig-Tipton's The November Sale shortly after her Breeders' Cup win, dissolving the partnership with Qatar Racing. D'Angelo said Shisospicy will be leaving for Saudi Arabia in early February to run in the $2 million 1351 Turf Sprint (G2T) Feb. 14 on the Saudi Cup (G1) undercard and could also run in Dubai in the Al Quoz Sprint (G1T) March 28 if all goes well in the 1351.