Adam Coglianese / NYRA Photo

More Glitter looks to sparkle in Tepin for juvenile fillies

by Brian Bohl

Repole Stable's New York-bred More Glitter, off a maiden-breaking effort last out, will attempt to make her stakes debut a winning one in Thursday's $100,000 Tepin for 2-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles on the Aqueduct Racetrack turf.

The second running of the Tepin, originally scheduled for Sunday before being moved, is Race 3 on Thursday's nine-race card. First post is slated for 12:20 p.m. Eastern. Tepin, trained by Mark Casse, was a two-time Eclipse Award-winner as Champion Grass Mare from 2015-16 and won the Breeders' Cup Mile in 2015 while finishing second in that race the following year.

More Glitter made her debut on August 29 at Saratoga, finishing third in a 10-horse field in a six-furlong main track sprint won by Irish Danzing. The Todd Pletcher trainee made her first turf start next out, crossing the wire second before being disqualified to fourth in a one-mile route over firm grass on September 27 at Belmont Park.

On October 23 at Belmont, More Glitter won her first race with a one-length score in a 1 1/16-mile route moved off the turf. Purchased for $340,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September Sale, the Quality Road filly will take a step up in class and will look for her first black type on the turf, drawing post 5 with Hall of Famer Javier Castellano in the irons for her third consecutive start.

"She's doing good and seems ready," Pletcher said. "The race got delayed a few days but it didn't seem to bother her any. We feel like she's better on the grass. We think the distance can help her, too."

Fittingly, Casse has a quality contender entered in Tepin's namesake race, with Gary Barber's Quality Heat, 1-1-3 in five career starts, looking to build on a third-place finish in the Chelsey Flower on November 3 at the Big A.

Quality Heat, bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm, gained a comfort level at Casse's home track at Woodbine, starting her career 1-1-2 in her first four races at Woodbine. Casse stretched her out to one mile in the Chelsey Flower, where she served as the 10-horse field's pacesetter before being overtaken by winner Speaktomeofsummer.

Stretching out to 1 1/16 miles for the first time, the daughter of Quality Road will have the services of jockey Kendrick Carmouche from post 7.

"I'd love to win the Tepin," exclaimed Casse. "That would be nice. I thought she ran well last time. So far, she's been a very useful filly. We're hoping that she can continue to get better and we're expecting her to make a good showing."

Trainer Christophe Clement will saddle a pair of fillies who will make their first respective stakes appearances off maiden-breaking wins.

Logic N Reason, a winner in a seven-furlong sprint on the Belmont turf on October 25, ran third in her second start on September 19 at Belmont in a key race won by next-out Grade 3 Matron winner Alms, over fellow next-out winner Moral Reasoning. Owned by The Elkstone Group, the Declaration of War filly will again have Joel Rosario set to ride, drawing post 2.

Her stablemate, Stretchthestory, added a win after back-to-back third-place finishes, besting a seven-horse field by three-quarters of a length on October 11 at Belmont. Owned by Alan Quartucci and Harrell Ventures, the New York-bred daughter of Lookin At Lucky will have Manny Franco pick up the mount, breaking from post 4.

"They each are coming off what I thought were good maiden victories making their third career starts at Belmont," Clement said. "They both complement each other in that they can be close or stalking just off the pace. Our biggest concern now is the weather for Sunday. Hopefully, the turf will remain in good order, but both have been training well coming into the race and we're excited for the opportunity to pick up some black type before the end of their 2-year-old campaign."

Allen Stable's Enola Gay, a $90,000 purchase at the same sale as More Glitter, won her debut for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey on September 12 at Kentucky Downs. She ran fourth in the six-furlong Stewart Manor on firm Aqueduct turf on November 10 and will have another chance at the track, drawing post 6 with Jose Lezcano aboard once again.

Godolphin homebred Antoinette, conditioned by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, enters off a win in her second start on October 24 at the Tepin distance. Jockey Joe Bravo will have the return engagement from post 3.

I Dare U was entered for the main-track only.