Tepin tops group of Casse workers

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – Fresh off capturing the first Eclipse Award of his career Saturday night, trainer Mark Casse on Monday was gearing up for what he hopes will be a big 2016. He worked Tepin, the champion turf female of 2015, along with another Breeders’ Cup winner, Catch a Glimpse, as well as the 3-year-old Conquest Big E, all part of a busy morning at Palm Meadows.

Tepin had regular rider Julien Leparoux aboard for a half-mile breeze in 49 seconds, her second drill since arriving here following her title-clinching victory in the Breeders’ Cup Mile against males. Casse has won multiple training titles and Sovereign Awards in Canada, but Tepin represented his first champion in the United States.

“I was nervous even though I felt like she would win,” Casse said. “It’s another check in the box. I was happy for her because she deserved it.”

Casse said he initially had planned on running Tepin for the first time in 2016 in the Grade 3, $150,000 Endeavour Stakes for female grass runners at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 13, “but with the weather, we’ll see.”

Recent rain has altered the training schedule for many local runners. It rained so hard here at Palm Meadows on Friday morning that there were no workers.

Catch a Glimpse, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, also might make her first start of the year a bit later than Casse had first hoped, owing to a recent illness.

“She got sick about 2 1/2 weeks ago,” he said. “But she’s been training really well since.”

On Monday, Catch a Glimpse went a half-mile in 50.95 seconds.

Casse said he had intended to run Catch a Glimpse in the Grade 3, $100,000 Sweetest Chant for 3-year-old fillies on turf at Gulfstream on Jan. 30, but that looks doubtful now.

One Casse horse who will run Jan. 30 is Conquest Big E, who is ticketed for the Grade 2, $350,000 Holy Bull Stakes for 3-year-olds, a key Gulfstream Park prep toward the Florida Derby and the Kentucky Derby.

Mike Smith will take over as the rider for Conquest Big E, Casse said Monday.

Casse believes Conquest Big E has the potential to be a major player this spring. He worked sharply Monday, five furlongs in 1:00.60, the best work of 43 at the distance.

“I still think this horse hasn’t shown his best yet,” Casse said. “He trains like a super horse, but so far, he’s only raced like a decent horse. Today was his big breeze for the race. He was supposed to breeze on the weekend, but we had to delay it a couple of days because of the weather. He’ll have one more work before the race.”

Conquest Big E has won twice in four starts. He rebounded from an eighth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to capture an allowance race at Churchill Downs on Nov. 28 in his most recent start.