Tepin Gets Back to Work for Casse
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Tepin winning the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland
Robert Masterson's Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) winner Tepin returned to the worktab Jan. 8 for the first time since her October 31 victory over the boys, clocking a half-mile in an easy :52.25 under regular rider Julien Leparoux at Palm Meadows training center.
"She went good," trainer Mark Casse said. "Her next work will be a little more focused. She's been in kind of a relaxed mode, but this little bit of a breeze woke her up."
The 5-year-old daughter of Bernstein will be targeted toward the Feb. 13 Endeavour (gr. IIIT) going 1 1/16 miles on the turf at Tampa Bay Downs as her season opener. A return to Keeneland, the site of her greatest victory, is definitely in the works as well.
"Seeing how well she's done against colts, we don't have to restrict our focus to filly races," Casse explained, adding the April 15 Maker's 46 Mile (gr. IT) "would always interest us."
Tepin, who is a finalist for the Jan. 16 Eclipse Awards in the outstanding turf female of 2015 category, capped her season with that Breeders' Cup win after after taking three other graded stakes last year. One of those races, the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (gr. IIT), could also be a return option.
Running down the list of his other top runners, Casse said Kentucky Jockey Club (gr. II) winner Airoforce, an Eclipse finalist for champion 2-year-old male, will be pointed toward the Feb. 13 Sam F. Davis (gr. III) at Tampa Bay and will work over the weekend for the first time since winning his dirt debut at Churchill Downs in November. Meanwhile, grade III-placed Siding Spring has shipped to Oaklawn Park and will likely breeze Jan. 10 in anticipation of a start in the $100,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 18, hoping for a rebound from a 10th in the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) last out.
Allowance winner Conquest Big E will also work this weekend with an eye toward the Jan. 30 Holy Bull (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park, and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT) winner Catch a Glimpse could run in Tampa Bay Downs' March 12 Florida Oaks (gr. IIIT) after missing a few days of training due to a temperature. Catch a Glimpse is also an Eclipse Award finalist, joining dirt runners Songbird and Rachel's Valentina in the 2-year-old filly category.