In a race dominated by European-bred or raced horses, except for the third-place finish from the Graham Motion-trained Mission of Joy, Mawj controlled the pace and staved off a furiously closing Lindy by a half a length for the win.
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Although she was making her first start in five months, Mawj distinguished herself from her peers in the paddock and turned heads in the post parade with an aggressive pre-race gallop under jockey Oisin Murphy.
When the race started, Mawj sent to the front, relishing the soft Keeneland turf dampened by intermittent Saturday showers. Murphy guided the filly through early fractions of :23.26, :47.72, and 1:11.89 but when it was time for the real running to begin, Mawj responded to Murphy just as she had in the Group 1 English One Thousand Guineas five months prior, maintaining her advantage to the wire. The Godolphin homebred stopped the clock in 1:48.06 for 1 1/8 miles on a turf course labeled as "good." It was the first time Mawj had ever been tested at a distance beyond a mile in her nine trips to the post.
"We did quite quick (fractions) in the first half of the race, but she is a superstar filly," Murphy said after the race. "She found plenty. She's got a great heart and mind."
Lindy, the Grade 1 French One Thousand Guineas runner-up in May now trained by U.S.-based trainer Brendan Walsh, closed gamely under Tyler Gaffalione after a shrewd, ground-saving ride but settled for second. She was making her second start for Walsh following a successful North American debut in an allowance optional claiming race last month at Kentucky Downs atop a four-horse field. She was a half-length ahead of Mission of Joy in third.
"We just got a little further back than we would've liked to, last position going into the first turn, but my filly traveled great throughout," Gaffalione said. "She gave me a huge run down the lane. We feel like we had the best horse."
Mawj's Queen Elizabeth II win not only gave Murphy and trainer Saeed bin Suroor their first Keeneland Grade 1 win, but she also provided Suroor with his record 500th lifetime Group or Graded stakes winner.
"This is great to win 500, and a (Grade 1) with the filly Mawj, a classic winner. To come to America, to Keeneland, to win is a great result for everybody," bin Suroor said.
"We ran her here (at Keeneland) to prepare for the Breeders' Cup," bin Suroor said. "No decision has been made yet. It looks to me like she has plenty of speed as a miler and she made it today nine furlongs. The Mile might be the best for her, but I want to decide closer to the race."
If Mawj were to claim victory in the Breeders' Cup Mile, defeating older males, she and Modern Games would become the first siblings to accomplish such a feat. Modern Games triumphed in last year's FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF at Keeneland en route to being named the U.S. champion turf male.
2023 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. Presented by Dixiana October 14th, 2023
