Will Tepin Continue Streak in Diana?

Robert Masterson’s Tepin (Bernstein) seeks her fourth-straight victory against a well-matched group in Saturday’s GI Diana S. at Saratoga. The Mark Casse pupil kicked off her 4-year-old campaign with a win in a Gulfstream optional claimer Mar. 21, and stole the GII Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs over GISW Coffee Clique (Medaglia d’Oro) May 2. The bay had no trouble rating last time in the June 6 GI Just a Game S. at Belmont, and once again got the money over an accomplished bunch. “We’ve always thought she was on the special side,” Casse revealed. “She trained as good as any 2-year-old we’ve ever had and ran well, and then she had a few setbacks as a 3-year-old. The key this year is that we’ve been able to run her without interruption.” All of Tepin’s turf wins have come at 1 1/16 miles or shorter, and her two nine-furlong attempts yielded by far her worst turf finishes, but Casse isn’t concerned about the added ground. “My concern doesn’t come from her prior attempts [at 1 1/8 miles],” said Casse. “At Churchill Downs [in the 2014 GIII Regret S.] she looked like she had a big chance to win and they almost put her over the hedge. She had a strange episode in California [in last August’s GI Del Mar Oaks]. Her jockey said she felt fine on the track, but she nearly collapsed after the race due to the heat. The key to it all is her ability to settle. If she settles early, she has a shot.”

My Miss Sophia (Unbridled’s Song), the only runner in the field who has not won a stakes race on turf, figures to be among the pacesetters and was installed the somewhat surprising 5-2 morning line favorite by Eric Donovan. A romping winner of the GII Gazelle S. and second in the GI Kentucky Oaks for Todd Pletcher and Mathis Stable LLC in 2014, the $2.15-million Fasig-Tipton November buy reemerged for Bill Mott and Alpha Delta Stables to finish a disappointing fifth in the GI La Troienne S. May 1. But she came back to life when switched to the sod going this distance at Belmont June 5, controlling the pace and drawing off to a convincing 4 1/2-length success.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Stephanie’s Kitten (Kitten’s Joy), third in this race in 2013 and second last year, has earned almost three times as much as any of her rivals with a bankroll of more than $2.7 million. She began her season with a win in Tampa’s GIII Hillsborough S. Mar. 7, and was hung very wide throughout Belmont’s GII New York S. last time and settled for fourth behind European invader Waltzing Matilda (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). She’ll once again be joined by Kitten’s Queen (Kitten’s Joy), her pacesetting entrymate who finished third in the New York. The pair are not coupled this time.

Hard Not to Like (Hard Spun), winner of the GI Jenny Wiley S. in 2014, was transferred from Michael Matz to Christophe Clement after selling for $1.5 million to Peter Flour and K.C. Weiner’s Speedway Stables at last year’s Keeneland November sale. She crossed the wire in front first time for her new connections in Tampa’s GIII Endeavour S. Jan. 31, but was DQ’d to second for interference. Third in defense of her Jenny Wiley title Apr. 11, she shipped out to California to beat subsequent Royal Heroine Mile victoress Fanticola (Silent Name {Jpn}) in the GI Gamely S. May 25.