Tepin gets the jump on Filimbi in Just a Game

Tepin is in the form of her life at present, while Filimbi (left) was a shade unlucky (Deborah Kral/Horsephotos.com) Robert E. Masterson’s Tepin (Bernstein) continued her breakout season with a perfect stalk-and-pounce trip in Saturday’s $700,000 Just a Game S. (G1) at Belmont Park. Rolling past Discreet Marq (Discreet Cat) in deep stretch as Filimbi (Mizzen Mast) encountered a costly spot of trouble, the 9-2 chance earned her first Grade 1 title in a final time of 1:35 3/5 for a mile on the good Widener turf. Tepin was last seen on Kentucky Derby Day, when controlling the pace throughout in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2). With other speed on tap here, the Mark Casse trainee reverted to her usual tracking style. Discreet Marq was quickest in the early strides, but defending champion Coffee Clique (Medaglia d’Oro) was too eager to go and overtook her through an opening quarter in :24 4/5. The two then raced in tandem, as Discreet Marq regained a narrow advantage through fractions of :49 2/5 and 1:12 2/5. Tepin was poised right off them in third, while Filimbi was covered up just behind the early leaders. Turning into the stretch, Discreet Marq began to assert, and Coffee Clique’s early aggressiveness took its toll. Filimbi was still full of run behind them, however, and had to steady off heels before angling out.

By that point, Tepin was already in full flight beneath Julien Leparoux.
Getting the decisive jump on her unlucky rival, Tepin opened up enough of a
cushion and held Filimbi safe by a half-length. The winner returned $11.20.

Another three-quarters of a length astern came Discreet Marq, who saved third
by a half-length from the closing Lady Lara (Excellent Art). Coffee Clique tired
to sixth, and 3-1 favorite Ball Dancing (Exchange Rate) never factored in eighth
of 10.

Now three-for-three in 2015, Tepin has compiled a career mark of 11-5-1-1,
$955,973. The bay was a useful juvenile on the dirt, capturing the 2013 Delta
Downs Princess (G3) and finishing third in the Rags to Riches at Churchill. She
switched to turf last summer, but bookended a second in the San Clemente (G2)
with eighths in both the Regret (G3) and Del Mar Oaks (G1). After a spell on the
sidelines, Tepin roared back in a March 21 allowance at Gulfstream, and it’s
been onwards and upwards ever since.

Tepin was bred by Machmer Hall in Kentucky and sold for $140,000 as a
yearling at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga. A half-sister to multiple Grade 2-winning
millionaire Vyjack (Into Mischief), she is a full sister to Grade 2-placed
Primce Cut. Their dam, the unraced Life Happened (Stravinsky), is herself a
half-sister to multiple Grade 3-winning sprinter Disco Rico (Citidancer).

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