Back against her own sex, Queen Maxima left little doubt who was best in the $201,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes, rallying to a decisive score Oct. 31 at Del Mar.
A multiple graded stakes victress sprinting on the turf, Queen Maxima's connections pondered racing their star filly in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T). The 4-year-old was exiting a traffic-laden sixth against males in Del Mar's Green Flash Handicap (G3T) Aug. 30.
However, the decision to go to the Ken Maddy would prove the right one.
Positioned within striking distance of the dueling pacesetters Marian Cross and Jungle Peace behind early splits of :22.32 and :45.29, jockey Juan Hernandez angled Queen Maxima out midway down the stretch and she exploded past her rivals en route to a 1-length win.
"She's back again and this was a beautiful race to get her confidence back and see where she goes from here," Hernandez said.
Trained by Jeff Mullins for Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures, Queen Maxima ($4.80) clocked the 5 furlongs in :56.57 over a firm turf course.
Shoot It True, one of two 3-year-olds in the field, and Nay V Belle completed the trifecta.
The Ken Maddy was the seventh win in 12 starts for the consistent Florida-bred daughter of Bucchero , a $40,000 purchase for agent Michael Pender at the 2023 Ocala Breeders' Sales June 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale.
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Conducted Never Looks Back in Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes
Under crafty handling from Hector Berrios, Conducted went from maiden winner to stakes winner with a front-running victory in the $201,500 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes.
Victorious by 6 1/4 lengths at third asking Oct. 4 at Santa Anita Park, the Mendelssohn 2-year-old repeated similar tactics as the gates opened for the first stakes of Future Stars Friday. Without any challengers following a :23.69 opening quarter, Conducted relaxed seamlessly for Berrios as the pair slowed the pace down to a :48.77 half-mile and 1:13.15 three-quarters.
East Coast shipper Proton, second throughout under John Velazquez, inched closer to the front-runner at the top of the lane but was no match for Conducted, who skipped clear of the field with plenty left in the tank.
"I thought he would improve off his win at Santa Anita and he really did," Berrios said. "I wasn't worried about the closers because he was so comfortable on the lead. We didn't really feel Proton trying to catch us. He just kicked on when I asked him to."
On the strength of a :23.38 final quarter, Conducted ($5.40) finished 1 1/2 lengths in front in a final time of 1:36.53 for the mile.
Proton was second over favored Plutarch in third.
Conducted is trained by O. J. Jauregui for the partnership of Danny Eplin, Michael and Julia Iavarone, and Arthur Spencer. The Machmer Hall-bred colt, the third winner out of the Archarcharch mare Marvelous Spot, sold to Eplin for $110,000 at this year's OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.
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