2016 First Lady Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The G1 First Lady Stakes comes our way this Saturday, October 8 from Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. A purse of $400,000 will be on the line for fillies and mares three years old and upward willing to go one mile on Keeneland's turf track.

A field of 10 older females will give it a go in the First Lady Stakes - race 7 on Keeneland's packed Saturday schedule. Post time is 4:35 PM. Let's take a peek into the past performances of all 10 combatants for this intriguing G1 stakes.

2016 First Lady Stakes Race Preview at Keeneland Race Course

Tepin 2-5 - defending champion, sensational six-time G1 winner and the Eclipse Award Champion grass mare of 2015 - the "Queen of the Turf" has 21 career starts for trainer Mark Casse with 13 wins, three seconds and a third place finish. She enters having not finished worse than second in her last 13 starts with 11 - yes 11 wins over that span. She arrives on the heels of a terrific eight race win streak - the G1 Woodbine Mile against the boys last time out September 17, the Group 1 Queen Ann Stakes against the boys at Ascot June 15, the G2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile May 7, the G1 Jenny Wiley Stakes in April, the G2 Hillsborough Stakes at Tampa Bay March 12, the G3 Endeavour Stakes by 3 1/2 lengths at Tampa Bay February 13, the Breeders' Cup Mile against the boys and by an impressive seven lengths and in last year's First Lady Stakes October 3. Before that were consecutive seconds - the G2 Ballston Spa Stakes August 29 and the G1 Diana Stakes in July. She also had wins in the G1 Just a Game Stakes last June and the G2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile in May, 2015. Tepin has been off-the-charts the last 18 months and will try to keep the insane roll going with regular rider Julien Leparoux guiding the obvious favorite from gate 2.

Celestine 4-1 - Bill Mott trained filly has six wins two seconds and a third place finish in 12 career starts. She had a nice four race win streak last summer - the minor Wild Applause Stakes June 14 after wins in the minor Wait a While Stakes in May (both results at Belmont Park) and the minor Sanibel Island Stakes last March at Gulfstream. She enters on another two race win streak - the G1 Just a Game Stakes last time out June 11 at Belmont Park and in wire-to-wire fashion in the G2 Honey Fox Stakes at Gulfstream April 2. Before that was a third in the minor Sand Springs Stakes February 27, a second in the minor Tropical Park Oaks December 19 and an uncharacteristic tenth in the G2 Mrs. Revere Stakes in November. Celestine has placed in nine of her last 10 starts, has posted a number of bullet works ahead of this weekend and hopes for a third straight graded stakes score. Junior Alvarado rides the morning line second choice from gate 8.

Bet Keeneland Race Course Horse Racing with OffTrackBetting.com

Onus 12-1 - won the G3 Commonwealth Stakes at Laurel Park September 26, 2015 and has been OK since. Last time out was a nice win in the minor Lady Baltimore Stakes at Laurel Park September 10 which followed a fourth in the G2 Ballston Spa Stakes at Saratoga, a sixth in the G1 Diana Stakes July 23 and a third in the minor Perfect Sting Stakes at Belmont Park in July. Onus tries for her first graded stakes score off a career-best effort and will have Jose Ortiz in the irons from post 9.

Nemoralia 15-1 - Jeremy Noseda trained filly has four wins, three seconds and a third place finish in career 11. She finished second in the G1 Frizette Stakes at Belmont Park in October and followed that with an OK third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies - before heading to Europe. Last time out was a seventh in the Group 1 Japan Racing Association Sceptre Stakes September 9 which followed a nice win in the Group 3 Sky Bet City of York Stakes August 19, a fourth in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat July 10 and a good second in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes in May. Nemoralia has been good so far in her career and will be after a strong bounce back from post 5 Saturday. Joe Bravo gets the call.

Secret Someone 20-1 - Michael Stidham trained mare has five wins and two third place finishes in 18 career starts. She enters off a nice win in the minor Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf September 3 after an eighth in the G1 Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington August 13 an OK third in the G3 Modesty Handicap on that track July 9 and a win in the minor Lady Canterbury Stakes June 19. Secret Someone has placed in three of her last four starts and will be after her first graded stakes score from post 7. Robby Albarado gets the call.

Now Or Never 20-1 - Irish bred Michael O'Callaghan trained filly makes her North American debut Saturday having posted two wins, three seconds and a third place finish in her nine starts so far. She enters on the heels of consecutive fourths - both Group 1 races at home. They followed a third in the Group 3 Irish One Thousand Guineas in May and a good win in the Group 3 Derrinstown Stud One Thousand Guineas Trial in May. Now Or Never has been in there with some of Europe's best and has fared well. Hopes are that she can make a huge statement Saturday from gate 4.

Photo Call 20-1 - Irish bred Todd Pletcher trained mare has five wins, three seconds and four third place finishes in 20 career starts and enters off a fourth in the G3 Glens Falls Stakes at Saratoga September 3, a sixth in the G2 Waya Stakes on that track August 6, a respectable second in the G3 Robert G. Dick Memorial at Delaware Park July 9 and a disappointing sixth in the G2 New York Stakes at Belmont Park June 10. Before that was a nice win in the G3 Orchid Stakes at Gulfstream Park in April, a fourth in the Endeavour Stakes in February and a fifth on the biggest stage - the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. He also had a nice two race win streak last year - the G1 Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita September 26 and the G3 Violet Stakes at Monmouth Park August 29. Photo Call has shown form in the past but has failed to place in three of her last four starts overall. Kent Desormeaux has been tabbed with changing her fortunes around from the outside gate 10.

Cash Control 20-1 - Brad Cox trained mare has eight wins, four seconds and two third place finishes in 17 career starts. She has been very good lately placing in six straight ahead of this weekend. Last time out was a second behind Secret Someone in the minor Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Stakes September 3 after another second in the minor Indiana General Assembly Distaff July 16, a good win in the G3 Mint Julep Handicap at Churchill Downs June 11, a third behind Tepin in the G3 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile in May and a second and a win respectively in a pair of minor stakes races to start her 2016 campaign. Cash Control has been impressive and will try to remain so Saturday when she leaves from post 3 with Shaun Bridgmohan guiding her.

Mississippi Delta 20-1 - Mark Casse trained filly has five wins, two seconds and a third place finishes in 13 career starts but has looked pedestrian in the other five. She enters off a good win in the minor Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint September 10 after an OK third in the G3 Royal North Stakes at Woodbine July 31, a fourth in the minor Perfect Sting Stakes July 2 at Belmont Park, a sixth in the minor Intercontinental Stakes on that track June 9 and consecutive runner up finishes in graded stakes action - in the G2 Nassau Stakes May 29 and in the G2 Honey Fox Stakes at Gulfstream April 2. She also had an Allowance score March 6 and three straight wins last year including the minor Alywow Stakes and Glorious Song Stakes at Woodbine. Mississippi Delta has placed in her last two starts and could be competitive Saturday. Corey Lanerie will guide Mississippi Delta hoping for her first graded stakes score overall and first stakes win in over a year - from gate 6.

She's Not Here 20-1 - defending seventh place finisher in this race and Victoria Oliver trained mare has five wins, a second and four third place finishes in 23 career starts and enters in OK form - a third place finish last time out in the minor Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Stakes September 3 followed a good win in the G2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap (a race she also won in 2015) at Del Mar July 16. She was in a bit of a funk before that - a sixth in the G3 Arlington Matron Stakes May 28 followed a sixth in the G2 Churchill Distaff Mile, a seventh in the G1 Jenny Wiley Stakes in April and an eighth in the G1 Matriarch Stakes November 29. She looks as though she is over her slump and will be after a second graded stakes score in three starts - from the rail with Jose Lezcano aboard.

2016 First Lady Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 7 on Keeneland's Saturday card with a Post Time of 4:35 PM.