Perhaps lost in the shuffle of final Kentucky Derby preps April 16 was another superlative performance by superstar filly Tepin who won the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes – her fifth consecutive victory including three grade 1 wins – with laughable ease.
But Tepin isn't just rattling off wins; she's building a legacy and cementing herself as a Hall of Fame inductee. Not only did the Mark Casse trainee beat males in the Breeders' Cup Mile last fall joining the likes of Miesque and Goldikova, she keeps putting up freakishly fast speed figures. In her last eight starts, Tepin has recorded triple digit Beyer Speed Figures seven times. The exception was the 99 she earned while making her first start off a three and a half month layoff to win her 2016 seasonal debut by 3 1/2-lengths in the Grade 3 Endevour. In other words, she was only running as fast as she needed to.
The five year-old daughter of Bernstein is becoming the female equivalent of 2014 retiree and Hall of Fame inductee Wise Dan who twice won Horse of the Year honors while dominating turf races at distances between a mile and a mile and an eighth. If that sounds a lofty comparison, Tepin's Beyer numbers suggest that on her best days she could give Dan a fight to the finish line. Last year, Tepin earned a 109 winning the Grade 1 First Lady at Keeneland and followed that effort with a 110 in the Breeders' Cup Turf Mile. This year, Tepin blazed her way to a 107 Beyer Figure en route to winning the Grade 2 Hillsborough March 12 at Tampa while setting a new course record at a mile and an eighth. Those numbers are Wise Dan worthy indeed.
In Tepin's most recent success, the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley, all she did was break the stakes record - one that had stood for 20 years - by stopping the timer in a remarkable 1:40.53, beating the next-best challenger by five lengths. The solid field she stomped included Dacita, the last filly to defeat Tepin. As it stands, it's hard to see anyone beating Tepin again anytime soon. Simply put, Tepin is the best horse in training right now.
Saturday, January 29 at Gulfstream Park is one of the biggest races of the year: the Pegasus World Cup (G1)! This $3 million race, covering a mile and an eighth on the Gulfstream dirt track, drew a field of nine handicap horses. The eyes of the racing world will be on Gulfstream on Saturday, and you can bet it from the comfort of your own home here in Canada!
The Kentucky Derby trail makes its way to Oklahoma on Friday, December 17 for the Remington Springboard Mile! The race drew a field of nine up-and-coming two-year-olds to go a mile on the main track. The prizes are rich: a $400,000 purse, as well as Road to the Kentucky Derby points (10-4-2-1) for the first four horses across the wire.
The Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), California’s most important Kentucky Derby Prep in December, is coming up on Saturday, December 11! The race features the most promising two-year-olds in California, set to go a mile and a sixteenth over the dirt at Los Alamitos Racecourse. The race offers a purse of $300,000, as well as Road to the Kentucky Derby points, apportioned 10-4-2-1 to the top four finishers.
Let's have a look at the 2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf betting picks and predictions.
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