Mawj shows off solid form with Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup victory

Mawj won her first start since May and her trainer, Saeed bin Suroor, notched his first race in America since 2011 when the extremely talented 3-year-old filly went virtually gate to wire in the Grade 1, $600,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland on Saturday.

Mawj won the English 1000 Guineas on May 7, subsequently got sick, and had her return pushed back to Saturday. Bin Suroor and Mawj’s owner and breeder, Godolphin, shipped the filly to America with hopes of a QE II and Breeders’ Cup double, and Mawj showed that she merits a Breeders’ Cup start with a half-length win over fast-closing Lindy.

Bin Suroor still wins races in Europe and Dubai, but now, unlike during his glory years, the former Dubai policeman does not typically train Godolphin’s top prospects. Those horses go to Charlie Appleby, who earlier Saturday won another 3-year-old filly grass stakes, the Sands Point in New York, with Eternal Hope. On Friday, Appleby and Godolphin won the Grade 3 Sycamore with Bold Act, and in Saturday’s nightcap, First Mission overcame a troubled trip to win a first-level allowance race, his first start since capturing the Lexington Stakes in April, for Godolphin and trainer Brad Cox.

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But this was Bin Suroor’s moment back in the limelight, and Mawj came back to the races ready for action. Mawj had yet to race beyond one mile, and a horse with potential stamina concerns going 1 1/8 miles while returning from a layoff of more than five months would have to be special to set a solid pace and still finish things off. Mawj appears to be special.

The two QE II entrants who looked most likely to lead, Prerequisite and Heavenly Sunday, were scratched, leaving a pace void that Mawj filled. Working her way to the front into the first turn, Mawj led Elusive Princess through an opening quarter-mile in 23.26 and a half in 47.72 while into the bridle but not pulling too aggressively for Murphy, who had ridden Mawj for the first time in the Guineas.

Mawj came to the top of the homestretch still in command and quickly found a gear that Elusive Princess lacked, dashing away to a two-length stretch-call advantage. Mission of Joy, who had enjoyed a good ground-saving trip, was plugging away without making much headway, but Lindy had extricated herself from traffic and gained momentum on the far outside. Lindy was a good European horse earlier this year, too, finishing second in the French 1000 Guineas, and she’d had an American start already winning a Kentucky Downs allowance race in September. Lindy, though, could not quite muster the needed turn of foot, requiring several strides to get into top gear once clear. Another 20 yards and she reached Mawj, but nine furlongs was not quite enough.

“We did quick [fractions] the first half of the race, but she’s a superstar filly and she found plenty,” Murphy said. “She’s got a great heart and mind.”

Racing over a course rated “good,” Mawj clocked 1:48.06 and paid $4.62 as the somewhat surprisingly heavy favorite. Lindy finished a half-length in front of Mission of Joy, with Elusive Princess another 1 1/2 lengths back in fourth.

Mawj is by Exceed and Excel, out of Modern Ideals, by New Approach, making her a half-sister to 2022 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Modern Games.

Bin Suroor said that Mawj has “brilliant speed,” and that the Breeders’ Cup Mile was “the best race for her.” The BC Filly and Mare Turf over 1 1/4 miles, however, also will be considered. That’s next month in California. On Saturday in Kentucky, Mawj showed her Guineas win at 9-1 was no fluke.

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