Tepin Puts in Final Breeze For First Lady

Robert Masterson’s GI Just a Game S. winner Tepin (Bernstein) breezed a half-mile in :49.40 (14/32) at Churchill Downs in her final work ahead of Keeneland’s GI First Lady S. Oct. 3.

“We would seriously consider running in the Breeders’ Cup Mile if she wins [the First Lady],” said Norman Casse, assistant to his father Mark Casse. “We don’t think she wants to go that far so the Filly & Mare Turf is out. That is a race that can be won by a filly so it’s not like it’s out of the realm of possibility. That’s kind of the goal. We’ll see how she runs this weekend before we make any big decisions.”

Winner of the GII Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S. May. 2 prior to her Just a Game victory at Belmont June 6, Tepin finished second in Saratoga’s GI Diana S. July 25 and GII Ballston Spa S. Aug. 29. Casse believe shortening back up to a mile off of those two turf routes will be in right up the bay’s alley.

“Speed doesn’t seem to do well [at Saratoga] and then you couple that with the fact that she really is a genuine miler, so we’re running her a mile-and-an-eighth, mile-and-a-sixteenth,” Casse remarked. “It was kind of a perfect storm for her to get beat. It’s great to be going back to what she does best.”