Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby have the horse to beat in Saturday’s $500,000 Fourstardave H. (G1) at Saratoga. Which one that will be exactly remains to be seen.
Connections entered both Master of the Seas and Ottoman Fleet in the one-mile grass test. However, Appleby told Daily Racing Form last week that Master of the Seas might instead wait for next month’s Woodbine Mile (G1).
Master of the Seas has been nearly flawless during his extended stays in North America dating to last season. An easy winner of the Woodbine Mile last September, the Dubawi gelding missed by a nose to division champion Up to the Mark in the Coolmore Turf Mile (G1) next out. He caught fellow Godolphin homebred Mawj in the final jump to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), which again is his season-ending goal this term.
Master of the Seas kicked off his six-year-old campaign in April, impressively landing the Maker’s Mark Mile (G1) over a rain-softened turf.
Ottoman Fleet has also been a consistently strong performer on these shores. Although upset in the Fort Marcy (G2) on his return to America in May, the son of Sea the Stars followed up with back-to-back wins in the Arlington (G3) and Wise Dan (G2) at Churchill Downs.
“We have one horse at proven Group 1 level and another in really good form who deserves a chance,” assistant trainer Chris Connett said.
Carl Spackler is the main threat to the Godolphin duo. The Chad Brown trainee is a three-time stakes winner at Saratoga, including a hard-fought score in the course-and-distance Kelso (G3) in July.
More Than Looks was beaten only two lengths by Master of the Seas in the Breeders’ Cup Mile in November but has not raced since. Strong Quality should provide some pace in the Fourstardave and will benefit cutting back in distance after gong unplaced in recent attempts over nine furlongs and beyond. The field is rounded out by graded winners Major Dude and Money Supply.
The winner of the Fourstardave will receive an automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Mile as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series.
The lone stakes scheduled for the main track on Saturday’s card is the $200,000 Saratoga Special (G2) for two-year-olds over 6 1/2 furlongs. Bettors are likely to focus on a handful of recent maiden winners, including Showcase, Noble Force, First Resort, Keep It Easy, and Global Legend. Touchy, runner-up as the odds-on favorite in the Tremont S. in his debut, is also expected to attract play.
