Tepin extends her winning run to eight races with victory in the Woodbine Mile

All roads lead to the Breeders' Cup for Tepin after the mare extended her winning streak to eight in the Woodbine Mile.

While she may not have been as impressive as in some of her victories, Mark Casse's five-year-old did what she had to do under Julien Leparoux in winning by half a length.

Tepin was having her first race since winning the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.

"She got a little tired; she's been off for three months," said Leparoux.

"From this race, she's going to get better later in the year.

"I knew they were not going to give me the race easy, but we had a good post and I could do whatever I wanted."

Owner Robert Masterson tool www.woodbineentertainment.com a return to Keeneland was on the cards where she could stick to her own sex in the First Lady or take on the colts again in the Shadwell Turf Mile.

"She's won three Grade Ones at Keeneland, said Masterson.

"She likes to run. We're better off running than working her. It's a long time before the Breeders' Cup."

Assistant Norman Casse agreed with the Keeneland plan, saying: "We're going to look at it, and pick the easier of the two," said Casse.

Casse added on www.bloodhorse.com: "She was obviously all heart, you could see even in the win picture that she's laid it all on the line for you.

"I had my reservations coming into the race. I thought we had her cranked up, but I wasn't 100 per cent confident. She got tired today but she'll move forward and run a little better race next time.

"If you watch her Royal Ascot race even, she didn't have to win that day. She laid it on the line, she struggled with the track then and she still won because that's what she is. She's a champion, and that's what champions do."

Mark Casse was at Churchill Downs and said: "Even my people at Woodbine said 'We've never had anything like this before, we've never been around this'."

"I wish I could have been there to hear (the chants). We're just so proud of her."

The William Haggas-trained Mutakayyef was beaten half a length and a neck into third and jockey Dane O'Neill said: "We could have done with a stronger pace but we'd never have beaten the filly.

"If one or two things had gone in our favour I think we definitely could have been second."