Shisospicy and Bentornato are back in their stalls at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, happy and sound, but the Jose D'Angelo-trained Breeders' Cup winners are hardly going to rest on their laurels.
Both Morplay Racing's Shisospicy, who rolled to a dazzling front-running victory against the boys in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Nov. 1, and Leon King Stable and Michael and Julia Iavarone's Bentornato, who directly followed his stablemate into the Del Mar winner's circle following a front-running virtuoso performance of his own in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), are candidates for major stakes across the globe in 2026.
In the direct aftermath of her Breeders' Cup triumph for Morplay Racing and Qatar Racing, Shisospicy was sent to Fasig-Tipton's The November Sale in Kentucky, where Morplay Racing secured full interest in Shisospicy for $5.2 million and returned her to D'Angelo for a 2026 campaign.
READ: Morplay Racing Takes Over Full Ownership of Shisospicy
Shisospicy "has an invitation to Hong Kong and there's also Saudi, but after the Breeders' Cup she went through the sale, and it was a long day for her," D'Angelo said.
He noted that a firm plan for the 3-year-old daughter of Mitole won't be made until she has had the time to rest and recover from a busy and most productive schedule the past couple months. "We'll figure it out later," he said.
Shisospicy, who prepped for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint with a victory in the Sept. 6 Music City Stakes (G2T) at Kentucky Downs in her first start since June, was in complete command from the start to the finish of the 5-furlong Turf Sprint at Del Mar under Irad Ortiz Jr.
Plans for Bentornato are considerably more definite. The $2 million Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G2) on the Feb. 14 Saudi Cup (G1) undercard at King Abdulaziz Racecourse is the primary goal for the Florida-bred 4-year-old ridgling, as D'Angelo shared on the Nov. 3 episode of the BloodHorse Monday podcast.
Bentornato, who was beaten by a half-length while finishing second behind Straight No Chaser in last year's Breeders' Cup Sprint, shook off early pressure from the defending champion and drew off to win by 2 1/4 lengths under Ortiz in this year's edition. The son of Valiant Minister had run only once this year, scoring by 5 1/4 lengths in the Sept. 13 Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes at Churchill Downs.
"People don't know all the problems. I had to put him on a diet because he put on so much weight. I had to go step by step, because he's a good horse," D'Angelo said. "I had to push him to get him ready."
Bentornato certainly has been worth the extra work that goes into training such a robust horse.
"He's everything you want in a horse," D'Angelo said.
A native of Caracas, Venezuela, where he followed in the footsteps of his father Francisco to become a trainer, D'Angelo ventured to Gulfstream Park in 2019 and has steadily established himself as an up-and-coming trainer, not only in South Florida, but in New York and Kentucky. Nov. 1 was a career day for the 35-year-old horseman.
"We want to win every day, but all the year we plan for the Breeders' Cup," said D'Angelo, who with 22 wins is tied with Saffie Joseph Jr. atop the trainer standings at the current Sunshine Meet that runs through Nov. 23.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
