By Joe Bianca
With how much she's accomplished since, it seems like ages ago, but it was only a little over a year in the past that Robert E. Masterson's Tepin (Bernstein) headed into the Distaff Turf Mile S. with a single win on the turf and a Beyer Speed Figure top of 90 on her resume. Dismissed at 9-1 that day, the bay filly was left alone on an easy lead and turned back the bid of favored Coffee Clique (Medaglia d'Oro) to score by 1 1/2 lengths and explode to a new high Beyer of 106.
The rest is history. Tepin went on to capture three Grade I's last season, including dominant wins in the First Lady S. and Breeders' Cup Mile, en route to Eclipse Award champion female grass horse honors. The now 5-year-old mare is 3-for-3 this campaign, most recently romping by five lengths in the GI Jenny Wiley S. at Keeneland, and will be tough to beat in this year's renewal of the Louisville grass test after her connections mulled running her against males in Saturday's GI Woodford Reserve Turf Classic S.
The most logical potential upsetter is Siena Farm's homebred Isabella Sings (Eskendereya), who came closest to knocking off Tepin of any horse during that one's current five-race winning streak. The speedy chestnut upset the GII Mrs. Revere S. over this course at 27-1 in November and darted away to an 18-length lead in the GII Hillsborough S. Mar. 12 at Tampa before just getting run down by Tepin in the final 100 yards.
Empyrean Stables' Zipessa (City Zip) has the look of a live longshot. The lightly raced filly has three wins in four starts, with all of her victories coming by open lengths. She most recently returned off a near seven-month layoff to blow away an optional claiming field by 5 1/4 lengths Mar. 14 at Fair Grounds. This is a major class hike, but she has good tactical speed and drew well towards the outside.
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