When Conducted crossed the finish line at Del Mar, jockey Hector Berrios couldn’t hide his satisfaction. A quick pat on the colt’s neck, a smile toward the stands, and a knowing nod to trainer O. J. Jauregui told the story — this was a ride executed to perfection. The crowd roared as the Mendelssohn colt galloped past the post, securing a confident 1½-length victory in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes, held as part of the Breeders’ Cup Friday card.
It was the fourth running of the race, and Conducted never looked like surrendering control. Breaking alertly from the gates, he established an early lead and dictated the pace comfortably. Berrios let him cruise through steady fractions of 23.69, 48.77, 1:13.15, and 1:24.79 before drawing clear in the stretch to stop the clock at 1:36.53. Behind him, Proton (6-1) and jockey Johnny Velazquez chased gamely but had to settle for second, while Plutarch, trained by Bob Baffert, recovered from early interference to edge Dr. Agne for third.
“He broke sharply today, just like he did last time, and he relaxed well on the lead,” said Berrios after the race. “I thought he’d improve off his win at Santa Anita — and he really did. He was so comfortable in front that I wasn’t worried about the closers. When I asked him to go, he just kicked on.”
Trainer O. J. Jauregui shared similar sentiments about the colt’s growing maturity. “I let Hector do whatever he wants,” he said. “If there were a lot of horses going for the lead, he’d have let them go, but it looked like everyone was just waiting, so he went on with it. The horse is getting better — early on, he wasn’t very focused. We wanted to run him in a maiden, but he couldn’t get in, so we ended up in the stakes race at Del Mar. It turned out to be the best learning experience for him.”
Conducted’s progression has been noteworthy. After finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf following a troubled run, he rebounded with an impressive six-and-a-quarter-length win at Santa Anita earlier this month. His latest success reinforces his upward trajectory, proving that he’s maturing both mentally and physically.
Owned by Danny Eplin, Julia Iavarone, and Michael and Aurther Spencer, the colt has now raced four times for two wins and total earnings of $159,600. His improvement has delighted connections, who plan to give him a short break before mapping out his next campaign.
“He’s learned something from every start,” Jauregui added. “That’s the best part — he’s still improving. We’ll see how he comes out of this race and decide where to go next.”
As the sun set over Del Mar and the excitement of Breeders’ Cup weekend continued, Conducted’s composed front-running display stood out as one of the day’s most polished performances. For a two-year-old still finding his stride, it was the kind of win that hints at bigger days ahead.
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