Tepin will look to secure trainer Casse second straight Cup Mile crown

ARCADIA, Calif. – Ricoh Woodbine Mile champion Tepin will make her title defence in the US$2-million Breeders’ Cup Mile from the middle of the pack.

The heralded mare, trained by Mark Casse — eight times Canada’s top conditioner and a 2016 inductee into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame — drew the No. 8 post in the 14-horse field Monday at Santa Anita Park. Tepin won last year’s event at Keeneland.

Tepin is one of seven horses Casse will have at this year’s Breeders’ Cup, which begins Friday and concludes Saturday. The others include Keep Quiet (Post No. 2) in the $1-million Juvenile Turf; La Coronel (Post No. 14) and Victory to Victory (Post No. 5) in the $1-million Juvenile Fillies Turf; Valadorna (Post No. 3) in the $2-million Juvenile Fillies); Catch a Glimpse (Canada’s defending horse of the year starting from Post No. 2 in the $2-million Filly and Mare Turf): and Classic Empire (Post No. 5) in the $2-million Juvenile.

Canadian-bred Channel Maker, trained by Woodbine Racetrack’s Dan Vella, will break from the No. 3 post in the Juvenile Turf while Oscar Performance, trained by Woodbine-based Brian Lynch, drew the No. 13 post in the 14-horse field.

Gomo, owned by John Paul Reddam of Windsor, Ont., drew the No. 4 post in the $1-million Filly and Mare Sprint while Wavell Avenue, bred in Canada by Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, received the No. 10 post.

Calgary Cat, Canada’s champion sprinter in 2014, drew the No. 6 post in the $1-million Turf Sprint. The Canadian-bred is trained by Kevin Attard and will be ridden by Luis Contreras, both Woodbine regulars.

Ralis, another Reddam-owned horse, will break from the No. 1 post in the $4-million Turf event while Noholdingback Bear, owned by Canada’s Bear Stables Ltd., drew the No. 8 post in the nine-horse $1.5-million Sprint. Noholdingback Bear is trained by Mike DePaulo and will be ridden by Eurico Rosa da Silva, both also Woodbine regulars.

Shaman Ghost, the 2015 Queen’s Plate winner owned and bred by Stronach Stables, will compete in the $6-million Classic. The draw for that race was held later Monday.

Nyquist, this year’s Kentucky Derby champion owned by Reddam, was expected to run in the race but the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner was pulled from the field with an ankle injury and retired.