Godolphin, Appleby have another shot at Woodbine Mile with Master of The Seas
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby have won a remarkable seven straight Grade 1 stakes at Woodbine, including last year’s $1 million Woodbine Mile with the brilliant Modern Games. They send out Master of The Seas in Saturday’s edition of the key prep for the Breeders’ Cup Mile, which is one of three Grade 1 Win and You’re In qualifiers on the card, along with the Summer and Natalma stakes for 2-year-olds. All three are Lasix-free.
A 5-year-old Dubawi gelding from England, Master of The Seas posted mixed results during his three-race winter campaign in Dubai, the highlight of which was a victory in the Group 3 Zabeel Mile. Returning from a layoff of nearly four months on July 15 at Ascot, he took the Group 2 Summer Mile by four lengths under 132 pounds.
“Winning the Summer Mile Stakes at Ascot” was his best performance, Appleby said. “He has natural pace and travels well. The E.P. Taylor turf at Woodbine is a nice conventional track, which suits him. It is a fair track with a nice straight that gives you a chance.”
Modern Games’s rider, William Buick, has the mount on the Irish-bred Master of The Seas.
The local contingent is headed by Grade 1 winner Shirl’s Speight.
Shirl’s Speight was sawed off by Modern Games at the quarter pole before going on to finish fourth in last year’s Woodbine Mile. He then finished second to Modern Games in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland.
Shirl’s Speight had an ambitious winter campaign, to say the least. The 6-year-old finished ninth in the Group 1 February Stakes on the dirt in Japan. He subsequently flew to Dubai, where he finished a creditable fourth in the $5 million Dubai Turf in March, a performance trainer Roger Attfield was content with.
“It was a very good race,” Attfield said. “If he’d had a bit better trip, he would have been much closer. The Japanese race was a waste of time because he wasn’t going to run well going a mile on the dirt.”
Attfield said Shirl’s Speight got sick upon his return to North America, so it wasn’t surprising to see him finish a flat fourth off a layoff in the prep for the Woodbine Mile, the King Edward.
“He got colic when he got back to the States,” Attfield said. “He was in a clinic for a week in Chicago, and then he had two months off at the farm because he couldn’t come back to Canada. He got turned out and got a little bit too fat.”
John Velazquez will ride the fast-working Shirl’s Speight, who should be racing near the rear of the six-horse field on the backstretch of the one-turn event.
War Bomber came from second to beat out front-runner Treason when winning the Grade 2 King Edward with determination. The son of War Front got a career-high 99 Beyer Speed Figure in the one-mile event.
Rico Walcott retains the mount on War Bomber for trainer Norm McKnight, who claimed the 5-year-old for owner Bruno Schickedanz for a bargain $25,000 in 2021.
“I thought he raced fantastic in the King Eddie,” McKnight said. “He came out of the race in good shape. We breezed him the other day, and Rico thought he breezed better than before his last race. I hope he’s right. I hope he reflects that when he runs.”
War Bomber was softened up in a speed duel before fading to ninth in last year’s Woodbine Mile.
“He doesn’t need to be on the front end,” McKnight said. “The same kind of setup as last time would be lovely, even if the pace is slower. He’s a pretty talented horse. He’s all grit. He just tries right to the end.”
Trainer Mark Casse sends out two stretch-runners, the Grade 1-placed Ice Chocolat and Lucky Score, who wound up third in the King Edward. Casse also supplemented the speedy My Sea Cottage, who finished just behind Ice Chocolat in fourth last out in the Grade 1 Fourstardave at Saratoga, which was won by Casa Creed.
The Woodbine Mile goes as the ninth race on a 12-race race card that begins at 1:15 p.m. It will be broadcast on TSN in Canada from 5-6 p.m. Eastern.
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