Trainer Jose D'Angelo's two Breeders' Cup winners, Shisospicy and Bentornato, are scheduled to return to racing action in the coming months.
D'Angelo told Keeneland publicity that Shisospicy is pointed to the $500,000 Unbridled Sidney Stakes (G2T) May 1 at Churchill Downs, and Bentornato, recently a slow-start second in the March 28 Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) at Meydan Racecourse, is aimed toward the $400,000 True North Stakes (G3) June 6 at Saratoga Race Course. The Unbridled Sidney is a 5 1/2-furlong grass race for fillies and mares on Kentucky Oaks day, and the True North is a furlong longer on dirt on Belmont Stakes day.
Morplay Racing's Shisospicy, last year's champion female sprinter, has not raced since defeating males in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) Nov. 1 at Del Mar. That victory was one of four stakes wins for the daughter of Mitole during her 3-year-old season.
Like Bentornato, she had been scheduled to travel to race in the Middle East this winter, but an infection derailed those plans. She has worked three times in recent weeks at Palm Meadows Training Center in South Florida.
Leon King Stable and Michael and Julia Iavarone's fellow multimillionaire Bentornato, winner of the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Del Mar and runner-up to Book'em Danno in voting for the champion male sprinter of last year, will train at Churchill Downs in preparation for the True North, according to D'Angelo.
