"Stackin' Cheddar: Looking Back," a new fortnightly series on America's Best Racing, premiered this week. We'll look at an early race in the lives of some of the most incredible horses, including places where they were heavily favoured.

Tuesday, May 2, 2015

Race 8 at Churchill Down

Stakes for Churchill Distaff Turf Mile

In the mid-2010s, Tepin rewrote the book for female grass horses in the United States. She won ten graded or group stakes races between 2015 and 2016, bringing her lifetime earnings to more than $4.4 million. She was the first filly or mare from the United States to win the Breeders' Cup Mile in 2015.

She went to Royal Ascot and won the famous Queen Anne Stakes the following year. In 2015 and 2016, she was named the Eclipse Award winner for best female turf horse.

On the first Saturday in May 2015, she began her dominant run for owner Robert Masterson and trainer Mark Casse at Churchill Downs. That same day, American Pharoah won the Kentucky Derby, kicking off his quest for the Triple Crown. Tepin, who came into the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile with a rather unremarkable résumé, drew little notice.

 She won the Delta Princess Stakes on dirt at Delta Downs as a 2-year-old, but she was never a severe contender in three graded stakes attempts as a 3-year-old, with a second-place finish in the San Clemente Stakes sandwiched between two second-place finishes. 

Between two performances that aren't quite right. She won a second-level allowance optional claiming race at Gulfstream Park by a length in her 4-year-old debut, but she was facing a severe class test as she stepped into the starting gate for the Distaff Turf Mile. In a 13-horse field, bettors thought little of her and sent her off at 9.10-1.

Tepin broke strongly and immediately pushed her way to the early lead under Julien Leparoux, who was riding her for the second time. Maid on a Mission got alongside her as the race approached the last turn, but Tepin shoved her and opened up in the stretch. Coffee Clique tried to go by angling off the rail, but Tepin prevailed and won by 12 lengths.

Tepin's victory was his first in a graded stakes race. Her next race was the Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park when she earned her first Grade 1 victory. The sky was the limit from there.

Tepin 1

$20.20

$8.20

$5.80

Coffee Clique No. 2

$4.80

$3.20

Sandia is number three.

$3.20