Tepin's Tour Returns to Keeneland

Robert Masterson's globe-trotting Tepin, winner of eight consecutive races at five different tracks dating back to last October, brings her show back to Keeneland Oct. 8 for a run in the $400,000 First Lady Stakes (gr. IT).

The mile turf test for fillies and mares served as a launching pad for Tepin's win streak last year, when she romped by seven lengths for trainer Mark Casse en route to a victory over males in the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT).

This year, Tepin comes off back-to-back wins over the boys in the Queen Anne (Eng-I) at Royal Ascot and the Ricoh Woodbine Mile (Can-IT), and aims to become the first horse to win the First Lady in consecutive seasons. Her connections hope the race sets her up for a Breeders' Cup Mile repeat Nov. 5 at Santa Anita Park; she has never been defeated at Keeneland, earning four of her 13 wins there; three on the turf and even one on the former Polytrack.

"Our feeling was it would be better to run her against fillies and hopefully get a little easier race this time out, and it should set her up nicer for the Breeders' Cup," said Casse, who opted against running Tepin in the Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. IT) on the same day as the First Lady. "That being said, I'm not saying that the fillies are easy to beat either. There are some really good fillies in there, but we just thought it would be a little easier."



Regular rider Julien Leparoux has the call from post 2. Casse will also saddle Sept. 10 Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint Stakes winner Mississippi Delta.

Those brave enough to take on Tepin include June 11 Longines Just a Game (gr. IT) winner Celestine, a Scat Daddy filly who makes her first start since that score for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and Phaedrus Flights, and Teresa Viola Racing Stables' grade I winner Photo Call, who looks to return to winning ways for Todd Pletcher.

Trainer Brad Cox also jumps in with Richard and Bertram Klein's grade III winner Cash Control. The 5-year-old daughter of Pioneerof the Nile   was third to Tepin earlier this year in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (gr. IIT).

"She faced Tepin once in the spring and it was a really good effort," Cox said. "She was third behind Tepin and the expectations are I guess maybe to run third—second or third. We know that that mare is probably the top grass mare in the country, especially at a mile—not the country but the world—but it would be big for this mare to get a grade I place, so we're going to take a shot and see what happens."

Cash Control ran second Sept. 3 to Secret Someone—who also enters the First Lady for trainer Michael Stidham—in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Stakes.

No 3-year-old filly has won the First Lady, but two will try. Joseph Allen and Peter Brant's Nemoralia finished third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT) at Keeneland last fall for trainer Jeremy Noseda. Qatar Racing's Now Or Never is a group III winner this year at Leopardstown for trainer Michael O'Callaghan.

Grade II winner She's Not Here and grade III winner Onus complete the field.