By Alan Carasso
Under normal circumstances, drawing the outside gate in a one-mile race, on turf, going two turns is a kiss of death. At Santa Anita, well, maybe not so much.
Sent off as the 33-10 second betting favorite behind Japan's superstar miler Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), Godolphin's Master of the Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) produced a stunning late burst of speed to run down the commonly owned Mawj (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), whose half-brother Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) was victorious in last year's Mile at Keeneland and in that wild Juvenile Turf at Del Mar the year prior. Adding to Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})'s success in the 2021 Mile–one of his three winners that afternoon–it was a third straight score in the race for Sheikh Mohammed's far-flung operation and the third on the trot for Dalham Hall's irrepressible Dubawi.
The 5-year-old was void of early speed and was angled down into about the three path before settling at the back of the field early on as Win Carnelian (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}) was kept company by Astronomer (Air Force Blue). When the latter went on with it into the turn, that allowed Mawj, victorious in the GI QE II Challenge Cup when last seen, to sit the ideal stalk-and-wait trip from third. Master of the Seas, meanwhile, was still back second-last down the backstretch as the leaders went past the half in a searching :45.37, and Buick sat against him, preparing to roll the dice with one long run.
Asked to kick passing the three-eighths, Master of the Seas had a single option–take the overland route into the lane and hope for the best. Set down outside of Du Jour (Temple City) once heads were turned for home, Master of the Seas sprinted right past Songline at the furlong grounds, and although Mawj was still going great guns up front, Master of the Seas was up on the wire to take it by a long-nose margin in a finish that looked a fair bit closer to the naked eye. Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed), perhaps a bit handier to the pace than expected in his third trip to the Mile, turned in his typically honest effort to round out the trifecta.
Lure, Six Perfections (Fr), Goldikova (Ire) and Karakontie (Jpn) each overcame double-digit gates to win at Santa Anita.
“We had to go out there with a slight plan from that draw,” said trainer Charlie Appleby, registering a 10th victory at the Breeders' Cup. “The plan was that were going to have to try and go for that sling shot ride, and that would've only have ever materialized if the pace is there to be able to do that. Thankfully, the pace was on.
“Far from saying I was confident, but the pace was setting up for that start of the finish for him. William [Buick] obviously gave him a great ride round there, got him in that position. It was a coffee book sort of sling shot.
“Once that horse got the momentum, we all know what sort of an engine he's got. He's been a bit frustrated. He's been beaten three short heads in Grade I. It's just nice for him to get it done today.”
Winner of the G2 Zabeel Mile and a close third in a roughly run G1 Jebel Hatta over the winter, Master of the Seas beat one home in the G1 Dubai Turf in March and got a vacation. An easy four-length winner of the G2 Summer Mile at Ascot July 15, the bay was tons the best when accounting for last year's Mile runner-up and 'TDN Rising Star' Shirl's Speight (Speightstown) in the GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile and was on the wrong end of a bobber with eventual GI Breeders' Cup Turf runner-up Up to the Mark in the GI Keeneland Turf Mile Oct. 7.
Pedigree Notes:
Providing Dubawi with a seventh Breeders' Cup race win, Master of the Seas is one of 10 winners from 12 to the races for his dam, a listed winner and runner-up in the2002 G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches in France and later twice placed in this country at the graded level while under the care of Eoin Harty. Firth of Lorne's G3 UAE Oaks-winning daughter Falls of Lora is not only the dam of Godolphin's treble Australian Group 1 winner Cascadian (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), but also of Albahr (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), winner of the 2019 GI Summer S. at Woodbine. Another daughter of Firth of Lorne, Bint Almatar (Kingmambo), produced G1 Metropolitan S. hero Just Fine (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).
Firth of Lorne's final foal is the 3-year-old filly Sithchean (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), a debut winner over the Chelmsford all-weather Mar. 2.
Saturday, Santa Anita Park
FANDUEL BREEDERS' CUP MILE PRESENTED BY PDJF-GI, $1,840,000, Santa Anita, 11-4, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:32.45, fm.
1–MASTER OF THE SEAS (IRE), 126, g, 5, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Firth of Lorne (Ire) (SW & G1SP-Fr, MGSP-USA, $163,189), by Danehill
2nd Dam: Kerrera (Ire), by Diesis (GB)
3rd Dam: Rimosa's Pet (GB), by Petingo (GB)
O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charles Appleby; J-William Buick. $1,040,000. Lifetime Record: GISW-Can, MGSW & G1SP-Eng, GSW & G1SP-UAE, 16-8-3-2, $2,214,457. *1/2 to Latharnach (Iffraaj {GB}), SW & G1SP-Eng, $217,472; 1/2 to Falls of Lora (Ire) (Street Cry {Ire}), GSW-UAE, SW-Eng, $246,417; 1/2 to Etive (Elusive Quality), SW-Ger, MSP-Fr, $126,693. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Mawj (Ire), 120, f, 3, Exceed And Excel (Aus)–Modern Ideals (GB), by New Approach (Ire). O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Saeed bin Suroor. $340,000.
3–Casa Creed, 126, h, 7, Jimmy Creed–Achalaya, by Bellamy Road. ($15,000 Ylg '17 OBSWIN; $105,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-LRE Racing LLC and JEH Racing Stable LLC; B-Silver Springs Stud, LLC (KY); T-William I. Mott. $180,000.
Margins: NO, HF, HF. Odds: 3.30, 4.90, 6.30.
Also Ran: Gina Romantica, Songline (Jpn), More Than Looks, Lucky Score, Shirl's Speight, Kelina (Ire), Du Jour, Win Carnelian (Jpn), Astronomer, Masteroffoxhounds. Scratched: Exaulted.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
REPLAY: Master of The Seas (IRE) wins the $2 Million @FanDuel #BreedersCup Mile presented by @PDJFund! Congrats to all connections! #BC23 pic.twitter.com/YGygNzz3Ec
— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) November 4, 2023
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