Tepin wires field in Distaff Turf Mile

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A lack of other speed and a stumbling start by the favorite combined to help Tepin pull a 9-1, front-running upset in Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs.

Sent to the lead by Julien Leparoux, Tepin got away with soft fractions of 24.10 seconds for the opening quarter and 48.18 for the half-mile and had plenty left for the stretch, recording a 1 1/2-length victory over Coffee Clique, the 5-2 favorite.

Coffee Clique, who won this race last year, stumbled at the break under John Velazquez, but she quickly recovered and had a chance to catch Tepin in the stretch but couldn’t do it. Coffee Clique finished three lengths ahead of the third-place finisher Sandiva. Lady Lara, who defeated both Sandiva and Coffee Clique in the Grade 3 Honey Fox at Gulfstream in March, finished fourth.

It was the first stakes win on turf for Tepin, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Bernstein owned by Robert Masterson and trained by Mark Casse. As a 2-year-old, Tepin won the Grade 3 Delta Princess on the dirt at Delta Downs.

Casse noted Tepin was the workmate of Danzig Moon, his runner later on the card in the Kentucky Derby.

“Hopefully, this is the beginning of a good day,” Casse said.

Looking at the past performances of the Distaff Turf Mile, Casse didn’t think there was much speed in the race. He conveyed that to Leparoux, who concurred.

“When they went the first quarter in 24 and change and the half in 48, I said, ‘Shame on her if she gets beat,’ ” Casse said.

Leparoux had ridden Tepin to victory in a second-level allowance race at Gulfstream a day on which she came from off the pace.

“[On Saturday,] I was by myself,” said Leparoux. “She relaxed beautifully and kicked on very nice at the end,” Leparoux said. “When she won at Gulfstream, she was very impressive. I really liked that filly. I was very confident today, and she proved she was very good.”

Velazquez said Coffee Clique got in a good position following the stumble but was compromised by the lack of pace.

“I don’t know where all the speed went,” Velazquez said. “I said, ‘Let me follow her. She’s not supposed to be on the lead’ … I’ll follow her because the horse that was second [Maid on a Mission], I didn’t like her at all. She took off again down the lane.”

Velazquez said Coffee Clique started lugging in a little bit down the lane, leading him to believe she may have grabbed herself when she stumbled.

Tepin covered the mile in 1:34.12 and returned $20.20 to win.