BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Fresh off being crowned the 2025 Champion Florida-bred Turf Female at the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association Awards Gala on April 20 in Ocala, Queen Maxima returns to Churchill Downs Friday seeking a repeat victory in the Grade 2, $500,000 Unbridled Sidney presented by TwinSpires. Queen Maxima won the 2025 edition by three-and-a-half lengths while setting a new track record of 1:01.29 for five-and-a-half furlongs on a turf course rated good.
She is one of nine fillies and mares, 3-years-old and older in this year’s edition.
Last year’s dominating victory in the Unbridled Sidney was one of seven wins in 10 starts for the now 5-year-old mare, going back to a half-length triumph in a first condition, $50,000 optional claiming going six furlongs on the Santa Anita turf in December of 2024. In addition to the Unbridled Sidney, she won the $100,000 Wishing Well and Grade 3 Monrovia at Santa Anita and the $201,000 Senator Ken Maddy (Listed) at Del Mar in a year that saw her win seven of five starts.
She started this year with a half-length triumph in the Grade 3 Las Cienegas run at six-and-a-half furlongs on the downhill turf course at Santa Anita on January 11 but failed to repeat in the Monrovia at the same distance, finishing third on April 4.
Queen Maxiam is trained by Jeff Mullins for Michele Arthur’s Dutch Girl Holdings and Ruben Islas’s Irving Ventures, both based in San Diego, for whom she has earned $642,460. Her career record stands at eight wins in 14 races with two seconds and a third.
A graduate of the 2023 Ocala Breeders’ Sales June Sale of 2-year-olds in training and horses of racing age, Queen Maxima was selected by bloodstock agent Michael Pender for $40,000 out of the Blue River Bloodstock consignment. She is by Bucchero out of Corfu Lady, by Corfu and was bred in Florida by the late Saul Rosas.
Juan Hernandez has been aboard for every race since the aforementioned victory in December of 2024 and will ride Queen Maxima Friday. They have post five and are 7-2 on the morning line.
Getting in the way of a potential title defense for Queen Maxima is Shisospicy, the 2025 Eclipse Award Champion Female Sprinter, who makes her first start since taking the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint by two-and-a-half lengths at Del Mar in November.
Trained by Jose D’Angelo for Rich and Josh Mendez’s Morplay Racing LLC of Orlando, Florida, Shisospicy last year won five of seven turf sprints including the Listed Limestone at Keeneland, the Grade 3 Mamzelle at Churchill and the Grade 2 Music City at Kentucky Downs. Overall, the 4-year-old daughter of Mitole has won six of nine with a second and a third while banking $2,090,270.
Shisospicy has post six and is the 9-5 morning line favorite. Her regular jockey, Irad Ortiz Jr., gets the return assignment.
Also entered are Mae Town with Florent Geroux in the irons, John Velazquez rides Buttercream Babe, Jose Ortiz takes the call on Time to Dazzle, Creed’s Gold will have Flavien Prat aboard, Haulin Ice and jockey Francisco Arrieta, Moon Spun with Javier Castellano up and Joel Rosario will guide Shoot It True.
Return to the April 29 issue of Wire to Wire
