Eclipse champion Shisospicy to miss Saudi 1351 Turf Sprint after infection

Shisospicy, the 2025 Eclipse Award–winning female sprinter, will not make her planned start in the $2 million 1351 Turf Sprint at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Saudi Cup night, Feb. 14, after developing an infection following a five-furlong breeze on Jan. 21, trainer Jose D'Angelo said. The 4-year-old filly by Mitole had been scheduled to fly from South Florida Feb. 2 to contest the G2 turf sprint.

D'Angelo, speaking at Palm Meadows Training Center on Jan. 29, described the condition as minor and explained the decision to stand the filly down. “She got an infection, a little thing, but we decided to skip Saudi,” he said. “We'll have to give her some time, but after that, we go forward and make plans for her.” BloodHorse reports the infection is expected to clear in a few days and that the decision to skip Saudi was made simply due to bad timing.

Connections now have several options for Shisospicy's return. The Al Quoz Sprint (G1T) at Meydan on Dubai World Cup night, March 28, remains under consideration. “Dubai is still a possibility,” Mendez said. “We'll also look at what they have at Keeneland. I can't stress enough that it's all about her. Wherever she starts next, she has to be 1,000 percent ready and not 100 percent ready. We're optimistic. Missing Saudi Arabia doesn't matter. What matters is her health and making sure she's 1,000 percent for the 2026 season.”

Shisospicy returned to the work tab Dec. 20, 2025, and breezed four times leading up to the Jan. 21 move, clocking five furlongs in 1:00.33, according to Horseracing Nation and BloodHorse. The filly has won six of her last seven starts, including a front-running victory in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, and her lone setback in that run was a 15th-place finish in the Commonwealth Cup (G1) at Ascot, her only overseas attempt.

The colt-turned-prize asset changed hands at Fasig-Tipton's November sale for $5.2 million, with Morplay Racing buying out co-owner Qatar Racing. That sale and the Eclipse crown made late 2025 a celebratory period for Morplay and D'Angelo, but the sudden medical hiccup underscores the fragility of international shipping campaigns and the high stakes of midwinter prep.

Reporting phrasing varied across outlets; Thoroughbred Daily News' Bill Finley said Shisospicy “spiked a fever following a recent workout,” while BloodHorse and Horseracing Nation used the term infection. TDN also noted that BloodHorse was first to report the development.

For handicappers, international race planners and owners, the withdrawal reshuffles the 1351 Turf Sprint landscape and reduces the star power on the Saudi Cup undercard. For Shisospicy's connections, the priority is clear: let the filly recover and target a measured return, whether at Meydan or at Keeneland, when her team is convinced she is fully ready.