Fierce Scarlett heads Sunday's inaugural Tepin

by Keith McCalmont

Fierce Scarlett heads a talented field of 14 juvenile fillies assembled for Sunday's inaugural $100,000 Tepin, a 1 1/16 miles turf test, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Chad Brown for owners Long Lake Stable, Madaket Stables, Thomas Coleman and Doheny Racing Stable, Fierce Scarlett will take significant backing in the Tepin thanks to a 72 Beyer Speed Figure earned in her maiden score on September 15 over a yielding Belmont turf. The Scat Daddy chestnut, who brought $320,000 at the April OBS, arrives at the Tepin from a flat fourth as the beaten favorite in the Grade 2 Jessamine on October 10 at Keeneland.

"I don't know what happened to her in that last start, I don't really have any excuse for her. We think she's a stakes-quality filly and hopefully she steps forward in this next race," said Brown.

Irad Ortiz, Jr., retains the mount from post 2.

Aunt Hattie, by Camelot out of the multiple graded stakes winning dam Spring Star, graduated on debut in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight over a yielding Aqueduct turf, besting Tepin rival On the Town by 1 3/4 lengths on November 3. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott for St. Elias Stable, Aunt Hattie has breezed twice following her maiden score, which earned a 69 Beyer, including a bullet-breeze on the Belmont Park dirt training track when covering three furlongs in 36 seconds flat. Junior Alvarado retains the mount from post 12.

Waterville Lake Stable's Slieve Mish will face an uphill battle should the Tepin come off the turf, as she looks to earn her first stakes score from a more than three-month layoff. Trained by Christophe Clement, Slieve Mish, named for a mountain range in County Kerry, Ireland, was last of six in her July debut after a troubled trip at Belmont Park, but found winning form in her follow-up effort when rallying sixth to first in an off-the-turf maiden sprint on August 5 at Saratoga Race Course.

A daughter of Bernardini, out of the Smart Strike dam Beckles Road, the bay filly's second dam, Padmore, produced multiple stakes winner Barracks Road and the multiple graded stakes winner Leigh Court, who took honors as Canada's Champion 3-Year-Old Filly in 2013.

"The filly is doing well. She won and then I gave her a break. There was nothing wrong with her, she was just always very light," said Clement. "She's been working well. She's sound and she wants to go long. If this race comes off the turf, it will probably be run at a mile and it's a good chance to get her some black type."

Todd Pletcher has entered a pair of contenders, with allowance winner South of France, entered for main-track only, and graded stakes-placed Guacamole who would be in the mix on either surface.

Guacamole graduated on debut in an off-the-turf maiden allowance sprint over a muddy track at Saratoga Race Course. The Flat Out filly was in striking range next out in the Grade 2 Adirondack but failed to fire when the chips were down, finishing third in a race won by Sue's Fortune. After finishing last of 11 in the Grade 1 Adirondack, Guacamole contested the pace in her turf debut with a fifth-place effort in the Grade 3 Matron at Belmont. Last out, the dark bay Repole Stable charge dipped out of graded stakes company for the first time in three starts to finish third in the $100,000 Stewart Manor, a six-furlong turf sprint November 11 at Aqueduct. Luis Saez retains the mount from post 9.

South of France, a Quality Road bay owned by Mathis Stable, is the most experienced runner in the field with a record of 2-2-1 from six starts and boasts the field's highest Beyer number of 74 garnered in her graduation in a $50,000 maiden claimer on October 10 over the Keeneland main track. Last out, South of France earned a 3/4-length win in a one-mile allowance event at Aqueduct. Hall of Famer John Velazquez will ride should the Tepin come off the turf.

Mark Hennig is represented by On the Town and main-track only consideration Hollywood Glory for owner Courtland Farms.

On the Town, a $450,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, will look to graduate in style while making her stakes debut. The dark bay daughter of More Than Ready completed the exacta behind Fierce Scarlett on September 15 when rallying from last of 11 to get within 4 1/2-lengths of the winner. She returned two months later to finish a rallying second to the debuting Aunt Hattie. Dylan Davis, aboard for both starts, will guide On the Town from post 8.

Hollywood Glory, a dark bay daughter of Maclean's Music purchased for $180,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, graduated at second asking in an off-the-turf maiden on September 29 at Belmont. Hennig again entered the filly for turf in the $100,000 Chelsey Flower on October 28 at Belmont, but rain washed the race off the green with Hollywood Glory finishing a hard-trying second over a sloppy main track. David Cohen will have the call should the race be contested on the main track.

Trainer Graham Motion will be represented by Early Time and Flying the Colors.

Flying the Colors, bred in Kentucky by Premier Bloodstock and owned by Heider Family Stables, contested the pace and finished a good second on debut, defeated just a head in a 1 1/6-mile maiden special weight on October 28 over a good Churchill Downs turf. Velazquez has the call on the War Front bay from post 4.

Early Time, a French-bred daughter of Charm Spirit, has won one of four career starts all made on turf in her native France. She graduated at second asking, by a neck, in a seven-furlong turf sprint over soft going at Dax and came out of that event to finish a strong fourth, defeated less than a length by Monette, in the Criterium du Bequet at La Teste de Buch. Monette, now being campaigned by Motion in North America, finished second in the Matron when making her local debut at Belmont. Jose Ortiz will pilot Early Time, making her first start since September 1, from the inside post.

Suba Lou, No More Fast Women, Love and Love, Sweet Timing and Stormy D complete the field.

The inaugural Tepin, named for the multiple Eclipse Award-winning Champion Grass Mare, will go as race seven on Sunday's nine-race card. Sunday's card is also highlighted by the $125,000 Autumn Days as race eight and the $100,000 Notebook as race four. First post time is 12:20 p.m.