For essentially the most half, the nice American-based fillies and mares of the previous few many years had been stars who beat the boys in Triple Crown races or main Grade 1 stakes on grime.
One of many exceptions was Tepin.
Tepin was that uncommon American Distaff star who didn’t race on grime for the majority of her profession however nonetheless was as revered and standard as just about some other horse – male or feminine – of her period and was able to defeating opponents of both intercourse.
Owned by Robert Masterson and skilled by Mark Casse, the good turf miler ran 23 instances from 2013 by way of 2016 and received 13 of these begins with profession earnings of $4,437,918 and a pair of Eclipse Awards because the champion turf feminine of 2015 and 2016.
She received the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland in 2015, defeating males, and completed her profession with six Grade/Group 1 wins in three completely different international locations.
“While you win a race on the grime, you’re beating the perfect in horses in North America,” Casse mentioned. “However once you win on the grass you might be beating the perfect horses on the planet. She bought higher as she bought older. Nothing appeared to hassle her. She may run on any type of turf floor. She was a really particular horse and deserved each accolade she acquired.”
Bought by Masterson for $140,000 on the 2012 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale of chosen yearlings, Tepin made her debut on Sept. 7, 2013 in a mud race at Churchill Downs the place she was despatched off as a 2.10-1 favourite however completed fourth after urgent the tempo.
Tepin atoned for that setback a month in a while an artificial floor at Keeneland by registering a 3 ¼-length victory.
Casse then returned the daughter of Bernstein to grime, the place she was third within the Rags to Riches Stakes at Churchill Downs and received the Grade 3 Delta Downs Princess Stakes to shut out her 2-year-old marketing campaign.
When she returned to the races at 3, Tepin took a couple of backward steps as she opened 2014 with an eighth within the Miss Preakness Stakes at Pimlico and was eighth once more a month later when she made her turf debut within the Grade 3 Remorse Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Regardless of the poor effort within the Remorse, Casse preferred how Tepin moved on the turf and shipped her west to run within the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes on turf. His religion was rewarded with a second-place end however after a boring eighth-place end within the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks, Casse pulled within the reins and gave Tepin a while off.
“She had a bit of situation on the finish of her 3-year-old marketing campaign,” Casse mentioned. “She couldn’t catch her breath. We introduced her dwelling, gave her a while, and the remainder is historical past.”
When she returned at 4 in 2015, she started her ascent to the very high of the feminine turf division. She began the yr with a victory in an elective claiming race, then took a giant step up in school to run within the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Distaff Turf Mile at 9.10-1 odds. She received by 1 ½ lengths that day, after which proceeded to earn Grade 1 laurels for the primary time with a victory within the Longines Only a Recreation Stakes at Belmont Park.
She subsequently completed a sport second in a pair of Saratoga graded stakes, the Diana and Ketel One Ballston Spa Stakes, however then turned in a monstrous effort within the Grade 1 First Woman Stakes at Keeneland. She received by seven lengths as the favourite in a victory that made her a critical contender in opposition to males within the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
“Confidence was the important thing together with her when it comes to her enchancment,” Casse mentioned. “We modified her working model a bit, however she additionally grew to become extra assured.”
Despatched off because the 9-2 third alternative in a global discipline of 12, Tepin pressed the tempo after which took cost within the stretch en path to a 2 ¼-length victory underneath common rider Julien Leparoux that wrapped up an Eclipse Award for her.
It was the ninth time a feminine had received the Breeders’ Cup Mile, though Tepin was the one certainly one of them who was primarily based in America for her whole profession.
“To be in the identical firm with Goldikova, Miesque, Six Perfections, and Royal Heroine, beating the boys within the Mile, I am undecided I’ve the phrases. Am I dreaming?” Casse mentioned on the time. “She simply continues to amaze me. I am nonetheless in shock [at how easily she won and by how many lengths], so I am going to have to look at the race a couple of extra instances, after which I will be much more shocked. I am unable to put it into phrases what nice work [Casse’s son and assistant trainer Norman Casse] did with this horse. It is particular. He labored actually laborious together with her.”
Voted the champion turf feminine of 2015, expectations had been excessive for Tepin’s 5-year-old marketing campaign and she or he didn’t disappoint. As an thrilling star in a digital period, Tepin started to pattern on Twitter as her recognition as “Queen of the Turf” grew by leaps and bounds with each victory.
She began 2016 by reeling off graded stakes wins within the Lambholm South Endeavour and Hillsborough Stakes, each at Tampa Bay Downs, after which adopted that up with victories within the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland and Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs.
After six straight wins, Casse then ready Tepin for the large problem of transport to England and going through worldwide competitors within the Queen Anne Stakes, a Group 1 take a look at on the famed Royal Ascot meet.
Dealing with males in a formidable discipline of 11 rivals, Tepin used her velocity to remain near the lead within the one-mile take a look at on a straight course earlier than surging to the entrance inside the ultimate quarter-mile and prevailing by a half-length in a efficiency Casse charges as essentially the most memorable of her illustrious profession.
“Successful at Royal Ascot was positively the second that stands out,” Casse mentioned. “Now that she received it, I respect It much more. It was on my radar to win there however I didn’t pay as a lot consideration to it as I do now after we went over there and received. I now understand how robust it’s to win there. To go over there and beat them at their very own sport was very satisfying. It’s not simple.”
Persevering with the pattern as a global sensation, Tepin was given a three-month break after which as soon as once more broke out her passport to journey to Canada and sort out males within the $1 million Ricoh Woodbine Mile.
As soon as once more Tepin prevailed by a half-length, giving her Grade or Group 1 victories over males in three completely different international locations.
A return date within the Breeders’ Cup Mile was on the horizon and Casse as soon as once more focused the First Woman at Keeneland as his champion’s remaining prep. Solely this time issues didn’t work out in addition to the earlier yr. She was unable to collar a loose-on-the-lead 29-1 longshot in Picture Name and wound up second by 2 ¾ lengths. That gorgeous loss in opposition to fellow females raised questions on whether or not time was catching up with the dynamic mare.
Within the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita Park, she went off as a detailed 3.70-1 second betting alternative behind 3.40-1 favourite Limato from Europe.
There was the chance for a coronation as a two-time Breeders’ Cup winner, nevertheless it was to not be.
Tepin was uncharacteristically seventh within the early going after which misplaced floor whereas staging a powerful, four-wide transfer within the stretch for the lead. In the meantime, Vacationer, who was alongside Tepin for a lot of the race, stayed inside and took full benefit of a gap alongside the rail to realize a slender lead and held off a livid rush by Tepin to prevail by a half-length.
It wasn’t the specified consequence for a mare who would turn into a two-time Eclipse Award winner, but it was a efficiency that typified all the class, braveness, and skill she dropped at the racetrack.
“She put in an excellent effort as a result of she was out of her factor,” Casse mentioned about what can be Tepin’s remaining begin. “She was used to being on the lead tuning for dwelling and also you needed to catch her, however this time she was the one who needed to catch up. Vacationer had an ideal journey and snuck up alongside the rail to beat her. Folks thought she was excessive however she may need run her greatest race that day.”
Masterson and Casse hoped to race Tepin at six, however she got here down with a gentle case of colic early within the yr, ending her profession with the runner-up end within the Breeders’ Cup.
If something, Tepin definitely didn’t lose a step within the race for greatness in that remaining race in opposition to the world’s greatest horses. Even amidst the frustration of that final race, on the finish of a protracted and grueling profession, there was a extremely becoming finish as an excellent mare was capable of serve up a remaining reminder of how particular she was and the way no problem was too nice for her to simply accept.
Word: This story was initially printed in October 2018 and has been up to date.
FUN FACTS
- Tepin was bought for $8 million to M.V. Magnier of Coolmore Stud on the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sale. She gave start to a Curlin filly in 2018, a filly in 2019 by champion European sire Galileo, one other Galileo filly in 2021, and a colt by one other high European sire, Dubawi, in 2022.
- Tepin was named for a road in Bighorn, Colo., the place Masterson lives.
- Tepin is the one horse primarily based exterior of Europe to win the Queen Anne Stakes.
- She was bred in Kentucky by Machmer Corridor.
- Tepin was elected to the Nationwide Museum of Racing Corridor of Fame in 2022, her first yr of eligibility.