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Charlie Appleby’s Master Of The Seas defied a horror draw in stall fourteen to get up under the shadows of the post from fellow Godolphin-owned market rival Mawj.
The two Godolphin horses served up a race to savour in the Breeders' Cup Mile, with the Charlie Appleby-trained Master Of The Seas narrowly getting the better of Saeed Bin Suroor's 1000 Guineas heroine Mawj.
It looked like an almost impossible task for the Norwegian-born champion jockey William Buick from stall fourteen, but the top-class rider displayed every inch of his talent when producing the multiple top-level winner with a well-timed run down the centre of the Santa Anita track.
The well-fancied Mawj looked to be in command after a perfect run round on Santa Anita's mile turf track but William Buick, who dropped Master Of The Seas in from his wide berth, was not to be denied and the gelded son of Dubawi showed a willing attitude to mow down the fellow Godolphin rival close home.
Connections of Master Of The Seas were made to wait for a few moments as the judge pondered over the photo finish, but it was soon announced Charlie Appleby's well-backed 3/1 chance had prevailed by a nose.
Casa Creed fared best of the home contingent by finishing back in third.
It was a second Grade 1 success for the globetrotting star following his impressive victory in the Woodbine Mile Stakes in Canada back in September, whilst it was also a third straight victory in the Breeders' Cup Mile for both Appleby and Buick, following wins from Space Blues [2021] and Modern Games [2022].
Appleby said: "We knew we had to go out with a slight plan and thankfully the pace we hoped for was on and set things up for our style of finish. Once he gathered his momentum, we all know what kind of engine he has.
"He'd been to Canada, to Keeneland and shipped up here. He's gone so close to winning a major and now he's done it.
Buick added: "It was never going to be easy for him as he is a closer. We came to concentrate on only the one thing we could do and hoped for the pace angle. When that materialised, I looked up and saw there were a lot of horses to pass, but once he went past the quarter-pole he took off. I was very confident he was going to get there."
Of the runner-up Mawj, Bin Suroor said: "She's run a huge race. She was in front she did everything really, but I'm happy for Charlie. She will go back to Dubai now."
Murphy continued: "She's just unlucky someone has to finish second. I wasn't sure what the outcome of the photo was, it didn't go our way today but that's life. It was a good performance – she's high-class."
