Tepin to Take On Males in BC Mile

Perhaps the most impressive performance on Saturday’s stakes-packed card was that of Robert Masterson’s Tepin, who won the one-mile $400,000 First Lady (G1) on the turf, in a time that was  two-fifths of a second faster than her male counterparts two races later in the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1).

“She’s good today. She went back to Churchill last night,” trainer Mark Casse said. “I think we’ll go to the (Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile). That seems to make the most sense. A mile is better for her than the mile and three-sixteenths of the (Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf). Any time when you run that big, it’s a nice surprise.

“I give a lot of credit to (assistant trainer and son) Norman (Casse) and his crew,” he continued. “They have kept her good. One thing that helps is that (Tepin is) a big, beautiful and powerful horse. People keep asking how many times she can keep throwing a big race after a big race, and even I ask myself that question sometimes.

“What’s amazing is that the more you run her, the more she gets better. She’s a lot like (2014 Canadian Horse of the Year) Lexie Lou in that respect. Yesterday’s race was just powerful and what makes you feel good is that it wasn’t taxing for her. Now we have a month until the Breeders’ Cup.”

Chris Ely, assistant to trainer Thomas Dascombe, said First Lady runner-up Crowley’s Law (GB) came out of the race fine and immediately plans were uncertain. “We may be staying,” Ely said.

T.J. Comerford, assistant to trainer Aidan O’Brien, reported that fourth-place finisher Outstanding (IRE) had been retired to Coolmore’s Ashford Stud and eighth-place finisher Easter (IRE) sustained a “little fracture” and was to be taken to Hagyard Equine Medical Institute before going to Ashford.

Source: Keeneland Association