ARCADIA, Calif. - Looked on paper like the Breeders’ Cup Mile was a complicated, tricky race. Nah. Godolphin, Charlie Appleby, William Buick – simple as that.   Those are the owner, trainer, and jockey who won the 2021 Mile with Space Blues and the 2022 Mile with Modern Games, and on Saturday at Santa Anita they made it three in a row when Master Of The Seas got up by a nose over Mawj in the $2 million Mile.  The first two home carried the Godolphin blue, but where Appleby was winning his 10th Breeders’ Cup race overall and, remarkably, his seventh since 2021, Mawj’s trainer, Saeed bin Suroor, hadn’t run a horse in a Breeders’ Cup race since 2009. Long break, tough beat. Mawj, a 3-year-old filly, ran extremely well, but wound up a hair too close to a fast pace and, in the end, was run down by a worthy winner.  Master Of The Seas was bred in Ireland, is based in England, has had a grand late summer and autumn racing in North America, and won this Mile from a parking-lot post. Breaking from 13, Master Of The Seas and Buick had few good options.  “He is a closer, and me and Charlie spoke at length about it, and we came to the conclusion there was only one thing we could do,” Buick said.  That was take back, hope for a strong pace, and come with a late run.  Done, done, and done.  Buick actually asked Master Of The Seas a bit leaving the gate, but before the first turn, other options closed, he took hold of his mount and went into the bend ahead of only More Than Looks. Far ahead of Master Of The Seas, things were going his way. Win Carnelian was Quarter-Horsed out of the gate and quickly hit the front, Astronomer coming up to push the pace, Mawj and jockey Oisin Murphy settling into third, a few lengths behind an opening quarter mile in 22.16 and a half in 45.37. There have been faster splits in the BC Mile, but those were taxing.   Down the backstretch and into the far turn, Shirl’s Speight and Casa Creed race alongside one another while tracking Mawj, and the French filly Kelina, who had struggled to negotiate the first turn, was fighting with her rider. Buick still had only one horse behind him, a dozen in front.  “The pace was good, and he managed to conserve his energy, but I looked up down the back, and I thought, ‘There’s a lot of horses to pass,’” Buick said.  The Kelina situation proved important. Kelina wasn’t making any progress going toward the three-furlong pole and held her spot two paths off the fence. Buick figured she’d peel out and force him even wider as Master Of The Seas began his run, and while Master Of The Seas did wind up about seven paths from the rail cornering for home, it could have been worse. And past the quarter pole, Master Of The Seas had gotten serious.  Astronomer dropped away and Mawj came up to try and wrest the lead from Win Carnelian. Shirl’s Speight made a bid that lasted about 50 yards, but Casa Creed was looming a three-wide winner at the furlong grounds. Mawj, though, had more, turning Casa Creed away, but there came Master Of The Seas on the far outside. Blue silks hit the wire simultaneously. Appleby and Buick again.  “William obviously gave him a great ride down there, a copybook kind of slingshot, and once that horse got momentum, we all know what kind of engine he’s got,” Appleby said.  Enough of an engine to go his final quarter-mile in 22.12, stopping the timer in 1:32.45. The betting public did not quite get it right, Master Of The Seas (105 Beyer Speed Figure) going off at just a slightly longer price than favored Songline, paying $8.60.   Mawj, facing older horses for the first time and making just her second start since early May, ran bravely in defeat.   “When I called on her, she took off,” Murphy said. “She was beaten on the day, but that’s life.”  Seven-year-old Casa Creed easily put forth his best Breeders’ Cup showing in his fourth appearance.   “He ran a beautiful race,” trainer Bill Mott said. “He had a shot to win when he turned for home.”  Casa Creed finished a half-length in front of Gina Romantica, who bumped solidly with Songline in upper stretch but otherwise got a decent trip. Songline came home a neck behind Gina Romantica, lacking a finishing spark after a favorable journey. More Than Looks turned in the fastest final quarter-mile, 22.11, but that was good for only sixth. Behind him came Lucky Score, Shirl’s Speight, Kelina, Du Jour, Win Carnelian, Astronomer, and Masteroffoxhounds.   Five-year-old Master Of The Seas, a homebred, is by Dubawi out of Firth of Lorne, by Danehill, and he has been a good horse for a long time. He missed by a nose in the English 2000 Guineas in May 2021 but didn’t start again until September, ran evenly in two starts that fall, and came back for a one-start 2022 campaign as a gelding. Master Of The Seas turned in two good performances over the winter in Dubai, but really hit his stride in July, sharply winning the Summer Mile at Newmarket. He then embarked on a North American adventure, landing his first Grade 1 with a dominant showing in the Woodbine Mile, went on to Keeneland, and was pipped on the line in the Turf Mile by Up To The Mark.   As a gelding, Master Of The Seas races on: Appleby mentioned the Pegasus World Cup Turf as a winter goal. And if the horse shows up in the Godolphin blue for the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Mile, Buick named to ride for Appleby, watch out.  :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.