THE star performer this weekend in the US is the Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Tepin who begins her season in the Grade 3 Lambholm South Endeavour Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.
Looking to launch a campaign that could include another run at the boys at Keeneland in the Maker’s 46 Mile this spring, trainer Mark Casse’s five-year-old should start off with a win.
One of seven older fillies and mares set for the mile and half a furlong test, Tepin has regular rider Julien Leparoux in the saddle and shares top-weight with Grade 2 winner Lady Lara. Mark Casse also has 2014 Queen’s Plate winner Lexie Lou entered.
Lady Lara, trained by Bill Mott, won her final race of 2015, the Grade 3 My Charmer Handicap at Gulfstream Park West.
Todd Pletcher sends in Grade 1 winner, the Evie Stockwell-bred Photo Call who comes off a sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf and Chad Brown has stakes winner Partisan Politics in the field. Also on the card, the Sam F Davis for three-year-olds has the Todd Pletcher-trained Gettysburg as favourite. The grey son of Pioneerof The Nile won his maiden at Gulfstream last month.
SANTA ANITA
The Irish-bred Obviously lines up in the Grade 3 Arcadia Stakes where he takes on the four-year-old Om who famously won the race in which American Pharoah made his debut.
He has two Grade 2 wins at the end of last year to his name.