Tepin clears quarantine, scheduled to leave Belmont for Churchill on Sunday

Edited Press Release

Champion and Royal Ascot heroine Tepin brought a little extra star power to New York this weekend as the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) and Queen Anne (Eng-G1) winner scheduled in a short stop on her world tour at historic Belmont Park.

Tepin cleared quarantine Friday afternoon and settled in for her brief sojourn in fine order, according to Randi Melton, trainer Mark Casse's Belmont-based assistant. The five-year-old daughter of Bernstein walked and grazed Saturday morning with a contentment that would belie any indications of her recent European exploits.

"She looks great even for a horse that just walked over to the track here (to run)," Melton said. "For her to look this good after a trip like that, coming out of quarantine and everything, it's unbelievable."

Already honored as the 2015 Eclipse Award champion turf female, Tepin has been perfect in five stakes starts this year, including her history-making, half-length victory at England's most prestigious race meet as the first American horse to win the Queen Anne.

Tepin is set to head back Sunday afternoon to Churchill Downs, where she is expected to arrive early Monday morning, said Norman Casse, the head assistant to his father.

"She looks well, she's traveled well," Casse reported. "She's a special horse. She can apparently do these kinds of things and not be any worse for the wear. That's one of the things that has allowed her to do all of this."

Tepin, who won the Just a Game Stakes (G1) at Belmont last summer and finished second by the smallest of margins in both the Diana Stakes (G1) and Ballston Spa Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course, will be based at the Spa again this summer, according to Casse.

"She will come up and join our division at Saratoga," he said. "We want to get her up there and have her there with us training.

“Right now, it seems likely that she'll go in the (September 17) Woodbine Mile (Can-G1) but if we feel she's doing really, really well, there's a possibility (of a race at Saratoga)."

Tepin photo courtesy of NYRA/Susie Raisher/Adam Coglianese Photography