Tepin's Loss Doesn't Dull Breeders' Cup Implications From FallStars Saturday at Keeneland

Tepin’s loss at 2-to-5 in the First Lady was by far the biggest upset on a five-stakes day at Keeneland where only two favorites got the job done, and on the surface those results might lead some to believe the Lexington track played as crazy as the power outage that delayed the day’s races, but the three losing favorites all finished second, and none of the results shock in retrospect.

In the Woodford Stakes, last year’s TwinSpires.com Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Mongolian Saturday returned to the scene of his greatest victory and won his first U.S. start of the year.

In the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes, Irish Jasper wore down 11-to-10 favorite Stonetastic—not a shocking result as the 3-to-1 second choice and also the third win by the rail post position on the day (with two seconds through race 6).

In the First Lady, Tepin could not overcome Photo Call’s 10-length lead through fractions of :24.10, :23.19, and :23.44, but she was the best of the rest and is still the likely favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Mile and champion turf female honors, though Shadwell Turf Mile winner Miss Temple City will join her and could dethrone the Queen by virtue of a head to head win via her third victory over males.

Speaking of the Turf Mile, Miss Temple City got the jump on favored Ironicus and held that one off, though he might be tough second off the layoff in the Breeders’ Cup if they go in that direction.

Sandwiched between the two turf races was Classic Empire winning the Breeders’ Futurity as the 8-to-5 favorite, a victory that came as no surprise to this scribe, and he will be one of the top choices for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in four weeks at Santa Anita Park.

Speaking of the Breeders’ Cup, Mongolian Saturday and Tepin are both likely favorites in their respective races: the Turf Sprint and Mile. Not every star delivered on FallStars Saturday at Keeneland, but they were certainly out in force.