FRANKLIN, Ky. – Shisospicy until Saturday had never raced more than 5 1/2 furlongs on turf in America. On dirt, during the first portion of her career, Shisospicy won her debut over six furlongs, but in a second start, going 6 1/2 furlongs, she faded to third, then slipped to second racing six furlongs again in her third race. Switched to turf, Shisospicy showed brilliance, going 3 for 3 through the winter and spring at standard American turf-sprint trips, five and 5 1/2 furlongs. Thus, the question Saturday in the $1,867,843 Music City Stakes: Could Shisospicy handle a testing 6 1/2 furlongs at Kentucky Downs?
From the look of it, they might have gone around the entire course a second time and not caught Shisospicy, who strolled to an easy three-length win in the Grade 2 Music City.
“She made it look easy,” jockey Irad Ortiz said.
She made it look easy by taking it easy. For a very, very fast filly, Shisospicy ran a remarkably composed and relaxed race. Breaking sharply, she took an early lead before pacepressing Gata Brazil forged forward and grabbed a half-length lead past the three-eighths pole and heading toward the expansive Kentucky Downs homestretch. Ortiz sat chilly – so did Shisospicy. And when Ortiz gently urged her forward approaching the quarter pole, the filly was very much there for him. Striding gorgeously, picking up steam step by step, Shisospicy opened up by three at the stretch call and coasted home.
“Honestly, it was a big question,” Ortiz said of the extended sprint trip. “I let her find her rhythm; I don’t want to take too much out of her. I put my hands down, take a long hold, and she came back to me, so that was great. We turned for home and I started asking a little bit and she just starts giving it to me.”
Well behind Ortiz, Cloe came home nicely to finish second, 2 1/4 lengths in front of the England shipper and second choice, Tabiti. That gave trainer Jose D’Angelo a one-two finish and took some of the string out of his tough-luck second here last weekend with Howard Wolowitz in the Turf Sprint.
Shisospicy, the logical and morning-line favorite, drifted up to 3-1 third choice and paid $8.42 while clocking 1:14.54. The filly is by Mitole out of Mischief Galore, by Into Mischief and runs for Morplay Racing and Qatar Racing, the latter buying into her in May.
Kilwin, who won the Grade 1 Test on dirt last out, disappointed as the bet-down 9-5 favorite. For the second time in a row she flubbed the start and raced from a distant last.
“That’s probably something we’ve got to figure out. You can’t do that every time,” trainer Rusty Arnold said.
Kilwin briefly got blocked in upper stretch but lacked the kick that won her the Untapable here last season, finishing eighth.
Shisospicy won the Mamzelle Stakes on May 10 at Churchill so smartly that D’Angelo took her to Royal Ascot, where Shisospicy faded to 15th on June 20 going a straight six furlongs while facing colts in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup. Undaunted, D’Angelo brought Shisospicy home and said he took his time ramping her back up to full speed. He didn’t doubt Shisospicy would see out the 6 ½ furlongs. Now, D’Angelo can focus on less distance, not more. All being well, Shisospicy runs next in the five-furlong Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar. She’s got the brain to go longer, the speed to run shorter.
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