By Christie DeBernardis
Champion Tepin (Bernstein) prepped for her sensational victory in last term's GI Breeders' Cup Mile with a seven-length romp in Keeneland's GI First Lady S. and she looks to repeat that pattern as the heavy favorite in Saturday's renewal. Last year's First Lady victory was the start of an eight-race win streak for the Robert Masterson colorbearer, who kicked off this term with successes in Tampa's GIII Endeavour S. and GII Hillsborough S. followed by a five-length tour-de-force in this venue's GI Jenny Wiley S. Apr. 16. Scoring another facile victory in the GII Distaff Turf Mile May 7, the Mark Casse pupil made a trip across the pond, where she scored a historic victory in Royal Ascot's G1 Queen Anne S. June 14 and bested males yet again next out in the GI Woodbine Mile Sept. 17.
Phaedrus Flight LLC's Celestine (Scat Daddy) had the summer off after scoring a career high in Belmont's GI Just a Game S. June 11 and Hall of Famer Bill Mott brings her back in this contentious test. A three-time stakes winner as a sophomore last year, the dark bay kicked off this term with a third behind eventual GIII Modesty H. winner Faufiler (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in Gulfstream's Sands Springs S. Feb. 27. She bested the reopposing Mississippi Delta (Giant's Causeway) next out there in the GII Honey Fox S. Apr. 2 prior to earning a 107 Beyer Speed Figure last time in the Just a Game.
Fellow Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey and Jose Ortiz make the trip in from New York with Stuart Janney's Onus (Blame), winner of last term's GIII Commonwealth Oaks. Kicking off this term with a five-length romp over the Belmont lawn in May, she completed the trifecta in the Perfect Sting S., but was off the board in both the GI Diana S. and GII Ballston Spa S. at Saratoga. Sent to Laurel for a class break, the gray ran to her heavy favoritism with a 1 1/4-length success in the Lady Baltimore S.
A pair of European runners ship in for this test in Nemoralia (More Than Ready) and Now or Never (Ire) (Bushranger {Ire}). Runner-up in a sloppy renewal of last term's GI Frizette S. and third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on these shores last term, Nemoralia started this term with a six-length romp going a mile at York in May and was second in the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot. Fourth in the G1 Prix Jean Prat, she rebounded to win the G3 City of York S. Aug. 19 and was a head-scratching seventh last time in the G3 Sceptre S. Sept. 9. Qatar Racing's G3 1000 Guineas Trial winner Now or Never makes her first American start following fourth-place finishes in the Coronation and the G1 Matron S. Sept. 10.
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