Master of The Seas waited until the stretch to launch an eye-catching turn of foot in the $1,840,000 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at Santa Anita, closing with a rush to deny Mawj. The five-year-old gelding provided his connections, owner/breeder Godolphin, trainer Charlie Appleby, and jockey William Buick, with their third consecutive Mile victory.
Space Blues struck for the same connections in the 2021 Mile at Del Mar, and Modern Games proved best at Keeneland last year. Master of The Seas edged fellow Godolphin homebred Mawj, who is trained by Saeed bin Suroor.
Master of The Seas left the starting gate as the 3.30- second choice in the 13-horse field and rated in 12th as Japanese outsider Win Carnelian showed the way through fractions of :22.16, :45.37, and 1:09.12. Mawj, the 4.90-1 third choice, prompted the pacesetter in second and took over leaving the far turn, opening a one-length advantage with a furlong remaining.
The winner made little headway on the far turn, and after swinging wide into the stretch, Master of The Seas found his best stride. He came motoring into the frame on the far outside, threatening to blow past the leader in deep stretch, but Mawj proved resolute and wasn’t caught until the final jump.
Casa Creed reached a threatening position in midstretch, but wound up a half-length behind the top two in third at 6-1. It was another neck to Gina Romantica, who edged 3.30-1 favorite Songline by a neck for fourth. More Than Looks, Lucky Score, Shirl’s Speight, Kelina, Du Jour, Win Carnelian, Astronomer, and Masteroffoxhounds completed the order.
Runner-up in the 2021 Two Thousand Guineas (G1), English-based Master of The Seas recorded group stakes wins from ages two to four. He came back from a lengthy layoff earlier this year in Dubai, recording a Grade 2 win from three starts, and returned to England with a convincing tally in a Group 2 event at Ascot in mid-July.
Appleby set his sights on the Breeders’ Cup, and Master of The Seas shipped to Woodbine to easily take the Woodbine Mile (G1) in mid-September. He faced America’s top turf horse in the Coolmore Turf Mile (G1) at Keeneland on Oct. 7, winding up a nose second to Up to the Mark, and improved his career line to 16-8-3-2, $2,214,457 with a thrilling Mile win.
By Dubawi, Irish-bred Master of The Seas is the most successful of four stakes winners from Firth of Lorne, a stakes-winning daughter of Danehill who counted a runner-up in the 2002 French Oaks (G1) among four group/graded placings.
