Tepin Takes It to the Boys in the Breeders’ Cup Mile

Robert Masterson’s Tepin (Bernstein) gave trainer Mark Casse his second Breeders’ Cup victory in as many days, storming home to an impressive 2 1/4-length victory over the boys in Saturday’s GI Breeders’ Cup Mile.

“I told everyone that she was the best filly in the country and she proved it today,” Masterson said. “She’s great. She’s a Breeders’ Cup champion and she deserves it.”

On the lead in the early strides, Tepin allowed Obviously (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}) to take charge down the backstretch through fractions of :23.77 and :48.08 as the filly sat a stalking second. She surged to the lead at the top of the lane with barely a move from jockey Julien Leparoux and powered home an authoritative victoress. Mondialiste (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), last seen taking the GI Woodbine Mile over similarly yielding ground Sept. 13, finished up in a wicked :22.80 to snatch second ahead of Grand Arch (Arch), who landed a soft-turf renewal of the GI Shadwell Turf Mile on

“She broke well like she always does,” Leparoux said of his trip aboard Tepin. “I was surprised actually to be on the lead around the first turn. I thought that Obviously would be there already. He came across on me and I couldn’t get out. As soon as I pulled, she was great, she just relaxed. On the backside, I was very confident.”

Make Believe (GB) (Makfi {GB}) was sent off the 5-2 favorite in the Mile, but offered only a mild late rally to be fifth.

“Disappointing really,” jockey Olivier Peslier, aboard the beaten favorite, said of the race. “Last time at Longchamp, he gave me a great kick. This time, he traveled well for me, but found no kick today. Maybe it was the ground.”

Tepin becomes the sixth filly to win the Mile, joining three-time winner Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa), two-time winner Miesque (Nureyev), Six Perfections (Fr) (Celtic Swing {GB}) and Royal Heroine (Ire) (Lypheor).

“To be in the same company with Goldikova, Miesque and Royal Heroine, beating the boys in the mile, I’m not sure I have the words,” admitted trainer Mark Casse, who had been shut out of Breeders’ Cup glory before Catch a Glimpse’s win in Friday’s GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. “Am I dreaming? She just continues to amaze me. I’m still in shock [at how easily she won and by how many lengths], so I’ll have to watch the race a few more times, and then I’ll be even more surprised. I can’t put it into words what great work [assistant and son] Norman [Casse] did with this horse. It’s special. He worked really hard with her. It’s hard to describe”

The 4-year-old Tepin is enjoying by far her best season on the track. She took the May 2 GII Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs and the June 6 GI Just a Game S. at Belmont Park before stretching out past a mile for two agonizingly close runner-up efforts at Saratoga. She was nosed out by Hard Not to Like (Hard Spun) in the nine-furlong GI Diana S. July 25 and came up a head short of Dacita (Chi) (Scat Daddy) in the Aug. 29 GII Ballston Spa S. Turned back to a mile, she responded with a seven-length romp over Saturday’s course and distance in the Oct. 3 GI First Lady S.

Masterson purchased Tepin for $140,000 at the 2012 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale at the suggestion of the late David Greathouse and his son Deuce.

Recalling the filly’s appeal as a yearling, Deuce Greathouse said, “She was a gorgeous filly. Her pedigree has turned into it what it has with Vyjack being a half-brother–that’s all come about [since her purchase]. She was a gorgeous filly, and we took a shot on an individual. It wasn’t a lot of brains. We didn’t try to overthink it. We just picked out one we thought looked like a runner, and we got lucky.”

Tepin had been catalogued for Sunday’s Fasig-Tipton November sale, but Masterson admitted Saturday he is looking forward to an attempt at a second Mile title next year.

“I think five year olds, mares is the best,” he said. “It’s like an adult–they mature. You get to the right age and you’re smart and you’ve done it. As long as you’re not hurt; as long as you’re healthy. I think it’s their best year. I think she’ll have her best year next year. I mean, I don’t know if she can beat this year, it was pretty good, but she should have her best year next year.”

Life Happened, who sold for $750,000 while in foal to Harlan’s Holiday at the 2014 Keeneland January sale, produced a colt by that late sire in 2014 and a colt by Into Mischief, a full-brother to MGSW Vyjack, in 2015.

Saturday, Keeneland
BREEDERS’ CUP MILE-GI, $1,840,000, KEE, 10-31, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:36.69, gd.
1–TEPIN, 123, 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.
$1,100,000. Lifetime Record: 15-7-3-1, $2,475,973. *Full to
Prim Cut, MGSP, $167,426; and a half to Vyjack (Into Mischief),
MGSW & MGISP, $2,475,973. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for
the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
[bullet ad=”greathouse-yearlingpurchase”][bullet ad=”machmer-hall-bredfoaledraised”][bullet ad=”selectsales-shell”]
2–Mondialiste (Ire), 126, h, 5, Galileo (Ire)–Occupandiste (Ire),
by Kaldoun (Fr). (€190,000 4yo ’14 ARJUL). O-Geoff & Sandra
Turnbull; B-Wertheimer Et Frere (IRE); T-David O’Meara.
$360,000.
3–Grand Arch, 126, g, 6, Arch–Bacinella, by El Gran Senor.
($80,000 Wlg ’09 KEENOV; $120,000 Ylg ’10 KEESEP). O-Jim &
Susan Hill; B-Hunter Valley Farm & S. Hillen (KY); T-Brian A.
Lynch. $200,000.
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Margins: 2 1/4, 1HF, HF. Odds: 4.90, 17.20, 13.20.
Also Ran: Mshawish, Make Believe (GB), Impassable (Ire), Esoterique (Ire), Tourist, Obviously (Ire), Time Test (GB), Karakontie (Jpn), Recepta.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.