Trainer Todd Pletcher was disappointed in Make You Look after the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T), when the son of More Than Ready finished a lackluster sixth. But the dark bay colt redeemed himself Jan. 7 in his 3-year-old debut, a strong performance in the $100,000 Dania Beach (G3T) at Gulfstream Park.
Video: Dania Beach S. (G3T)
Closing strongly to win the 7 1/2-furlong turf event for sophomores by 2 1/2 lengths, Let's Go Stable and Three Chimneys Farm's Made You Look was ridden confidently by Javier Castellano.
The leading Eclipse Award finalist for his fourth consecutive award as outstanding jockey, Castellano put favored Made You Look behind and in between horses down the backstretch. While his stablemate Squadron set the pace through fractions of :23.83 and :48.13, Made You Look was racing in fifth position, and his rider appeared to have a ton of horse under him.
When the field turned for home, Made You Look was guided to the outside and began to pick off horses in the stretch.
"The way he did it, I was very impressed," Castellano said. "He was covered up a little bit. There was a lot of speed in the race and I kept him inside on the rail. The way he did it was very professional and the way he exploded the last part of it was very impressive. I angled out a little bit because I saw those two horses in front start to back up a little bit, so I tried find some room to split horses. I tried to use my best judgment and put him outside to let him run and when I asked him, he took off."
Finishing second in the eight-horse field was 45-1 longshot Clyde's Image. He was followed under the wire by Shiraz, who was a half-length behind. The race's second choice, 9-5 Kitten's Cat, checked in fourth.
Pletcher said he was pleased as he watched the race unfold.
"He was sitting a good turf trip," the trainer remarked. "It looked like (Castellano) was riding confidently, that he had horse, and when he tipped him out and he hit the accelerator, he responded quickly."
Made You Look won the With Anticipation (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course as a 2-year-old after breaking his maiden at second asking at Belmont Park in June. He was training well coming into the Breeders' Cup, but failed to deliver.
"The main thing I was disappointed about with the Breeders' Cup was that he didn't run his race," Pletcher said. "He didn't really fire. When you run your race and get beat, it's one thing, but he just didn't fire."
Made You Look returned $4.40 and completed the distance in 1:29.98 over a firm turf course. He was bred in Kentucky by the Robert and Beverly Lewis Trust, out of the Unbridled's Song mare Night and Day, and was a $360,000 purchase by his owners from the Denali Stud consignment to the 2015 Keeneland September yearling sale.
