Tepin preps for Woodbine Mile

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Tepin, North America’s reigning female turf champion, returned to the work tab Tuesday for the first time in 3 1/2 weeks, breezing a slow half-mile in 53.07 seconds over the Oklahoma turf course.

Tepin is preparing for a start in the Grade 1, $1 million Woodbine Mile on Sept. 17.

Under jockey Florent Geroux, filling in for injured rider Julien Leparoux, Tepin went off in fractions of 13.44 seconds and 26.89 for the opening quarter. She picked it up only slightly in the lane, getting her final quarter in 26.18.

It was Tepin’s first breeze since July 22, and only her second move since she returned from England where she beat the boys in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.

“Flo’s never been on her before,” trainer Mark Casse said. “We just wanted to stretch her legs a little bit, and that’s all she did. As I’ve always said to you, she’s not the most inspiring work horse. If she comes out of this fine, we’ll come back with something a little more serious.”

When Casse first came to Saratoga, he was thinking of running Tepin in the Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap - a race originally scheduled for last weekend but postponed to this Saturday due to weather - or the Grade 2 Ballston Spa Stakes here Aug. 27.

But Casse wasn’t thrilled with the way Tepin trained over Saratoga’s main track following a turf breeze July 22, and he went easy with her for a little while. Further, Casse said Tepin wasn’t thriving in the hot weather.

“She wouldn’t pick the bit up when it was hot,” Casse said.

Casse is considering training Tepin on the Oklahoma dirt course. Casse had also mentioned shipping Tepin to Churchill Downs, but noted that it may be too hot in Louisville, while it is starting to cool in Saratoga.

Tepin has won seven consecutive races dating back to last Oct. 3, when she won the Grade 1 First Lady Stakes at Keeneland.

- additional reporting by Mike Welsch