Tepin Just Too Good in First Lady
Updated: October 3, 2015 at 8:20 pm
With her soft win in Saturday’s GI First Lady S., Tepin (Bernstein) was not only snapping a streak of horribly bad luck, but was also punching her ticket to a date with the boys in the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile over this track and distance in four weeks’ time.
Winner of the GIII Delta Princess S. at two, Tepin, a half-sister to Vyjack (Into Mischief), transitioned to the grass in the middle of 2014 and posted a runner-up effort in the GII San Clemente H. between eight-place finishes in the GIII Regret S.–with some trouble–and in the GI Del Mar Oaks. Kept on the turf this term, she won her first three outings of the season, including a front-running score in the GII Distaff Turf Mile May 2 ahead of an off-pace tally in the GI Just a Game S. June 5. She stretched out to the nine furlongs of the GI Diana S. at Saratoga July 25 and looked a winner late, only to be run down by Hard Not to Like (Hard Spun). The bay suffered a similar fate in the GII Ballston Spa S. Aug. 29, as she carried the lead into the final furlong, but was tagged late by Dacita (Chi) (Scat Daddy).
Drawn widest in the field of 11, Tepin broke on song and glided down into the two path with a minimum of fuss and was rated kindly just of the flank of longshot Cara Marie (Unbridled’s Song), as potential pace presence My Miss Sophia (Unbridled’s Song) was allowed to settle in the latter half of the field. With Julien Leparoux riding high in the saddle and looking back in the rear view to see if anything posed a threat, Tepin struck the front shortly after turning for home and kicked home to score by a margin not frequently seen on the grass and at the distance. Crowley’s Law (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) parlayed a ground-saving journey into a best-of-the-rest finish, while My Miss Sophia made belated progress into third.
“She was fired up today,” winning trainer Mark Casse said. “She went a little wild in the Paddock. I told Julien [Leparoux] when I put him up ‘She’s on her game.’ She was impressive.”
Life Happened is the dam of a 2-year-old colt of this year by Gio Ponti named Taniko and, after selling to Solis & Litt for $750,000 in utero at Keeneland January in 2014, produced a colt by Harlan’s Holiday. The mare foaled a full-brother to Vyjack this season.
Saturday, Keeneland
FIRST LADY S.-GI, $400,000, KEE, 10-3, 3yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:37.04, sf.
1–TEPIN, 124, f, 4, by Bernstein
1st Dam: Life Happened, by Stravinsky
2nd Dam: Round It Off, by Apalachee
3rd Dam: Capp It Off, by Double Zeus
($140,000 Ylg ’12 FTSAUG). O-Robert E. Masterson;
B-Machmer Hall (KY); T-Mark E. Casse; J-Julien R.
Leparoux. $240,000. Lifetime Record: 14-6-3-1,
$1,375,973. *1/2 to Vyjack (Into Mischief), MGSW
& MGISP, $1,099,000; Full to Prime Cut, MGSP,
$167,426. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. [bullet ad=”machmer-hall-bredfoaledraised”][bullet ad=”selectsales-shell”][bullet ad=”greathouse-yearlingpurchase”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″] 2–Crowley’s Law (GB), 124, f, 4, Dubawi (Ire)–Logic
(GB), by Slip Anchor (GB). (48,000gns Ylg ’12
TAOCT). O-Paul Crowley; B-Middle Park Stud Ltd
(GB); T-Thomas Dascombe. $80,000. [bullet ad=”hunter-valley-ftknov-hip-169″] 3–My Miss Sophia, 124, f, 4, Unbridled’s Song–
Wildwood Flower, by Langfuhr. ($260,000 Ylg ’12
KEESEP; $2,150,000 3yo ’14 FTKNOV). O-Alpha
Delta Stables; B-John D. Gunther (KY); T-William I.
Mott. $40,000. [bullet ad=”taylor-made-tm-for-you”] Margins: 7, HF, 2. Odds: 1.70, 5.10, 4.80.
Also Ran: Outstanding (Ire), Cara Marie, Sky Treasure, She’s Not Here, Easter (Ire), Kiss Moon, Solid Appeal, Jealous Cat.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.