Master of The Seas, right at home, easily takes Maker’s Mark Mile

Master of The Seas, bred in Ireland, based much of his career in England, and arriving in Kentucky this spring after a winter in Dubai, has found a home port on the continent west of the Atlantic Ocean. Making his fourth straight start in North America, Master of The Seas won his third Grade 1 since September, trouncing five foes Friday at Keeneland in the $600,000 Maker’s Mark Mile.

Only a desperate nose defeat last fall at Keeneland, where Up to the Mark nipped him on the wire in the Grade 1 Turf Mile, stands between four straight Grade 1s for Master of The Seas. Home by the narrowest of margins in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, his 5-year-old finale, Master of The Seas was comfortably 2 1/4 lengths best in the Maker’s Mark Mile to open his 2024 campaign.

William Buick gave Master of The Seas a perfect pocket trip, making his move inside of pacesetting Emmanuel when that horse drifted off the rail in upper stretch. Master of The Seas quickly jumped on Emmanuel and pace-pressing Kubrick, making the lead at the furlong pole and cruising to the finish.

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Naval Crown, who broke slowly and finished strongly, made it a one-two for Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby. Integration was up late for third by a neck over Shirl’s Speight, the two horses on the engine in the early and middle stages bringing up the rear in the end. Equitize and Du Jour were scratched, and the heavily favored winner paid $3.54.

It took Master of The Seas 1:37.10 to complete the mile, roughly five seconds slower than his October clocking at Keeneland. After several days of rain, Keeneland’s grass course was soaked, rated yielding, and that, in theory, was the only potential point of vulnerability for Master of The Seas. In practice, the 6-year-old gelding didn’t struggle with the going at all.

“I was confident, but when he’s done as much on quick ground, you’re always a bit dubious,” Appleby said of the testing conditions.

A homebred by Dubawi out of Firth of Lorne, by Danehill, Master of The Seas during his early years mixed challenging behavior with high-level talent. He was beaten a nose in the 2021 Guineas at Newmarket, but it was only after being gelded and maturing that Master of The Seas became the horse he is today.

“He’s challenged us over the years, his younger years, with his temperament. He was highly strung,” Appleby said.

Master of The Seas showed exuberance Friday after Buick got a leg up from Appleby, who said a limited Keeneland training schedule owing to the persistent rain had left the gelding fresh following his ship from Dubai. Master of The Seas quickly settled down in the warm-ups and ran a relaxed, professional race.

“I think that’s been part of his journey throughout his career. His last two or three years racing he’s learned to relax in any spot in a race, really,” Buick said. “His trips to America and Canada have really made a man of him.”

No trips to America are on Master of The Seas upcoming agenda, but only because the gelding is staying here. Appleby said Master of The Seas is a likely runner May 4 in the Turf Classic at Churchill, where he’ll try to stretch his brilliance out to 1 1/8 miles.

Master of The Seas, Naval Power, and, presumably, other Appleby-trained horses will eventually wind up stabled at Saratoga. Master of The Seas obviously has a repeat bid in the Breeders’ Cup Mile as a long-term goal. The race is at Del Mar, and Del Mar is in North America. Master of The Seas will feel right at home.

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