Looking to give his trainer a second straight win in the $1 million race, Master of The Seas looms the one to beat among a field of six older turf males entered in Saturday’s Grade 1 Woodbine Mile.
A 5-year-old son of Dubawi, the Charlie Appleby-trained runner has won a pair of Group 2 stakes races this year. The first of which came in the beginning of the season in Dubai.
Most recently, Master of The Seas was an impressive winner of the Group 2 Summer Mile at Ascot two months ago. This will be his first start in North America.
Chief among his challengers in the one-mile turf affair is the Grade 1 winner, Shirl’s Speight. That win came last year in the Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland. He was also second in last fall’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Most recently the 6-year-old millionaire returned from a layoff to be beaten just 2 1/2-lengths by Woodbine Mile contender War Bomber.
One of three in the race for trainer Mark Casse, Ice Chocolat comes off a strong third-place effort in the Grade 1 Fourstardave at Saratoga and will likely receive plenty of support.
As part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, the Woodbine Mile offers automatic entry into this year’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita.
Woodbine Mile Predictions and Race Analysis
Master of the Seas
This son of Dubawi might not have quite the credentials of last year’s impressive winner of the Woodbine Mile, Modern Games, but he looks primed to give the same connections a second straight win in the big race.
A Godolphin homebred, he continues to improve under top trainer Charlie Appleby and comes in off his best performance yet when he rolled to victory in the Group 2 Summer Mile at Ascot two months ago.
It was his second Group 2 victory of the year and both came at one mile. With the tactical speed to lay close early and a strong turn of foot, I like his chances to win another one here. He is the top pick.
Shirl’s Speight
At his best, this son of Speightstown would have a big shot for the win on Saturday for trainer Roger Attfield. Last year, he became a Grade 1 winner and also ran a huge race to finish second in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile.
This year, he began the season with a couple of races overseas, and while he finished fourth in the Grade 1 Dubai Turf in March, it was a solid effort. He’s only run once since and ran just okay, when fourth behind War Bomber last time.
Improvement in his second start back is expected and the classy veteran looms as a solid challenger to Master of The Seas.
Ice Chocolat
The first of three for trainer Mark Casse, this Brazilian-bred was a Group 3 winner in his native land but has yet to break through in stake races in North America.
Having said that, he continues to run good races and his last was probably his best yet, when he was forced way wide but came running to finish a strong third in the Grade 1 Fourstardave at Saratoga.
A repeat performance puts him in with a chance on Saturday and he has run well at Woodbine before. He is one of the biggest threats to the top pick.
War Bomber
One of three horses in the field bred in Ireland, this son of War Front comes into Saturday’s test off his biggest career win when he was a game-winner of the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes four weeks ago.
He’s run two straight good races since returning to the turf for trainer Norman McKnight. A stakes winner in each of his three seasons on the track, he should be involved early here.
Last year, however, he faded to ninth in this race. He will do better on Saturday, but I like a few others better.
Lucky Score
The second from the Casse barn, this son of Lookin At Lucky is a true local, having done all his racing at Woodbine.
He has a solid record on both the turf course and the all-weather surface there but has been running exclusively on the turf in 2023. His form is good, but he has been unable to get by War Bomber in the last two.
He likes to come running in short races, but this one-mile affair will likely not have a fast pace to set the table for his rally. A cut below the best, he looks like only a threat to get into the exotics rather than win.
My Sea Cottage
After showing some good form against cheaper, this Irish bred attempted his first graded stakes race last time in the Fourstardave, where he set the pace before fading to fourth.
He once again should be on the lead here until the real running begins. That’s an advantage, but I am hard-pressed to believe he can hold them all off.
The third of the Casse group, he is an unlikely winner but could hold on for a share, as he once again tries to prove himself against quality runners.
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