Mawj battled for the win in the QEII Challenge Cup at Keeneland. (Keeneland Photo)
Breeders’ Cup Notes
Saeed bin Suroor is back at the big show and there is no doubt that he has every chance to add a fourth Breeders’ Cup trophy to his mantle when he saddles Godolphin’s Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1)-bound homebred MAWJ (IRE) on Saturday. The daughter of Exceed And Excel (AUS) will not only seek to become her standout sire’s third Breeders’ Cup winner, but also hopes to emulate dual-Breeders’ Cup-winning half-brother Modern Games (IRE), who landed last year’s Mile. On Saturday, she put the finishing touches on her preparation with worked 7f in 1:28 2/5 in company with Group 2-placed stablemate White Moonlight.
“It was a good work,” bin Suroor said. “On the dirt, she’s not going to show a lot, really, but she did a nice routine work of seven furlongs, which is what we do with her before a race and now will have an easy time going into the Breeders’ Cup Mile. She worked with White Moonlight, who runs on Friday in a Listed race here. Mawj is far better on the turf, but she’s doing well, and it was a nice work for her and we’ll go from there. I’m hoping to draw somewhere in the middle with her. She will show speed and go to the front.”
A six-time winner from nine starts, Mawj served notice that she had a bright future when a good second to subsequent Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Meditate (IRE) in Royal Ascot’s Albany Stakes (G3) last year. She then went on to capture the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes (G2) at the July Meeting and maintain proper Group 1 form by year’s end. In 2023, she has upped her game, going 4-for-4, including victories in the prestigious 1000 Guineas (G1) and Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) last out at Keeneland on Oct. 14. Exiting a nine-furlong victory, she had the option of cutting back to the Mile against the boys or stepping up another furlong for the Filly & Mare Turf against her own sex.
“She’s going into the Mile because I think that’s her best distance,” bin Suroor explained. “I know she won at Keeneland over nine furlongs, but she has a lot of speed and that makes me think the mile is her trip and a lot better than a mile and a quarter for her. She will improve from the race and she hadn’t run since May and needed the race, for sure. It was very good for her to win when she needed the run, but she’s a tough filly with a big heart who always tries hard. She’s doing good and she travelled really well from Kentucky to here. She’s been enjoying her exercise and I’m really happy with her. If she’s happy, that makes me happy.
Bin Suroor has earned Breeders’ Cup wins with two favorites, Daylami (1999) and Fantastic Light (2001) in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1), but the last time he attended the World Championships at Santa Anita, he saddled a then-record 14 starters and took home a trophy with the least-expected of the lot, 30-1 longshot Vale of York (IRE) in the Juvenile. Smiling ear-to-ear while walking around Clocker’s Corner, it is easy to understand why he appears to have shipped as well as his filly.
“I actually won my first Group 1 here at Santa Anita in 1995 with Red Bishop in the San Juan Capistrano, so it’s always good to be back,” he concluded. “And I have won a Breeders’ Cup here, which makes it even better.”
