Morplay Racing's millionaire Shisospicy, the South Florida-based champion female sprinter of 2025, has recovered from an infection that forced the connections to skip last weekend's planned trip to Saudi Arabia.
Trainer Jose D'Angelo has been pleased with the 4-year-old Mitole filly, who won five of seven races last year, starting with an allowance optional claiming triumph in February at Gulfstream Park. She then went on to win the Limestone Stakes at Keeneland, the Mamzelle Stakes (G3T) at Churchill Downs, and the Music City Stakes (G2T) at Kentucky Downs. She capped her season by winning the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) against males Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
"Shisospicy, she's perfect now," D'Angelo said. "I don't think that we have enough time to prepare in the way that we would like to go to Dubai, so we are on standby with her."
Meanwhile, Leon King Stable and Michael and Julia Iavarone's Bentornato, her grade 1-winning stablemate, is on schedule to make the trip to Dubai for the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) March 28.
Last out, he was the winner of the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), one race after Shisospicy. He captured that win in just his second start of the year, winning the Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes Sep. 13 at Churchill Downs. Bentornato has been breezing steadily since mid-January at Palm Meadows Training Center, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. Most recently, he went a half-mile in :47.90 Feb. 14, second fastest of 67 horses.
"Bentornato is doing great. I'm very happy with his (last) workout. We are planning to leave for Dubai on the 13th," D'Angelo said. "I'm very happy with them. I'm sure that they're going to have a good year. Hopefully we can get the trophy here from Dubai."
This scheduled trip could mark the second overseas one for Bentornato. As a 3-year-old in 2024, he was third in the Saudi Derby (G3) to future grade 1 stars Forever Young and Book'em Danno while stretching out to 1 mile—a distance D'Angelo learned was too far for him.
After winning the Breeders' Cup, Bentornato finished second in Eclipse Award voting behind Book'em Danno. Bentornato's late-season heroics were not enough to outpoll Book'em Danno, who had a highly successful spring and summer campaign. Book'em Danno did not compete in the Breeders' Cup.
