Filly Tepin installed as early 1-2 favourite for $1-million Ricoh Woodbine Mile

TORONTO – The “Queen of the Turf” will be the horse to beat Saturday at the $1-million Ricoh Woodbine Mile.

Heralded filly Tepin was installed as the heavy 1-2 early race favourite Wednesday. North America’s reigning champion turf female will break from the No. 8 post in the eight-horse field at Woodbine Racetrack chasing an eighth straight victory.

“I think she’s ready,” assistant trainer Norman Casse said at the race draw. “They say preparation provides confidence and her last works have been tremendous.

“We’ve done something we’ve not normally done with her. We’ve actually cranked her up a little bit because she had so much time off and all indicators are she’s ready to run.”

Regular jockey Julien Leparoux, who rode Turallure to victory in the 2011 Mile and won this year’s Queen’s Plate with Sir Dudley Digges, returns aboard Tepin. Leparoux, 33, suffered a fractured wrist Aug. 6 but rode three winners last weekend at Kentucky Downs.

“I’m really confident because Julien has come here and read the turf course a lot,” Casse said. “That’s just another thing that provides a little more confidence coming into the race.”

The field, with post position, horse, jockey and odds, includes: 1) Tower of Texas, Eurico da Silva, 20-1; 2) Mutakayyef, Dane O’Neill, 7-2; 3) Arod, Oisin Murphy, 10-1; 4) Glenville Gardens, Gary Boulanger, 20-1; 5) Full Mast, Joel Rosario, 12-1; 6) Passion for Action, Luis Contreras, 20-1; 7) Mr. Owen, Jamie Spencer, 15-1; 8) Tepin, Leparoux, 1-2.

Olympic wrestling champion Erica Wiebe served as guest drawmaster.

Tepin will attempt to become just the second filly/mare to win the race. Ventura first accomplished the feat in 2009.

Tepin, a five-year-old named after a very potent hot pepper, hasn’t raced since June 16. That’s when she became the first North American-based winner of the prestigious Grade 1 Queen Anne Stakes, a one-mile turf race at England’s Royal Ascot.

“With Royal Ascot being the exception, she’s always had the bull’s eye on her,” Casse said. “Everybody knows who they have to beat.

“There’s a little pressure there but pressure is a privilege and we’re just privileged to be a part of something like this.”

Mark Casse, Norman’s father, is Tepin’s trainer. The elder Casse has long been one of Canada’s top conditioners and earlier this year was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

But the Woodbine Mile is one of the few titles to elude Casse and his son said capturing Saturday’s event would indeed be special for the family.

“I think it would be right up there with a lot of these other things we’ve done recently,” Norman Casse said. “This is a race that’s kind of eluded dad.

“We’ve won pretty much everything you can win at Woodbine and bringing her back this year, this was one of those races we pencilled in as one we really wanted.”

Tepin has won 12-of-20 career starts — including 10-of-15 on grass — and amassed over US$3.56 million in earnings. She’s also proven to be a versatile performer, having won at eight different racetracks.

Tepin’s speed is what initially caught Norman Casse’s eye but he says it’s her development into a more professional racehorse that’s been a big key to her success.

“She was what I’d describe as a flighty filly,” he said. “She’d kind of do things that would frustrate you a little bit because anything would set her off.

“Nothing sets her off anymore, she’s the consummate professional. She can go to England, get off the plane and train the next day and it’s no problem. I think that’s ultimately what’s really turned her into the racehorse she is. She’s a more professional racehorse so now she uses that speed a little differently than how she was using it before.”

Tepin won last year’s Breeders Cup Mile at Keeneland and will look to become just the second horse to pull off the Woodbine Mile-Breeders’ Cup Mile double. Wise Dan did it twice (2012-13).

The winner of Saturday’s race earn $600,000 and a fees-paid berth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, slated for Nov. 5 at Sanata Anita Park.