Made You Look, the top juvenile on turf at Saratoga last summer, got back on the winning track in his three-year-old debut at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, comfortably taking the $100,000 Dania Beach (G3) under Javier Castellano.
The 6-5 favorite in the 7 1/2-furlong, firm-course test, rated in fifth, made a four-wide bid turning for home, seized control just before the furlong marker, and drew off to win by 2 1/2 lengths.
“The way he did it, I was very impressed,” Castellano relayed. “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.”
Owned by Lets Go Stable and Three Chimneys Farm, the Todd Pletcher-trained son of More Than Ready paid $4.40 after finishing up in 1:29.98. Longshots Clyde’s Image (45-1) and Shiraz (8-1) rounded out the top three.
Bred in Kentucky by the Bob and Beverly Lewis Trust and a $360,000 Keeneland September yearling, Made You Look broke his maiden in his second start at Belmont last June, and two months later entered the winner’s circle again following a two-length score in the With Anticipation (G2) at the Spa.
In his final start at two, Made You Look was a nondescript sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Santa Anita.
“I was a little disappointed; the horse had trained really well leading up to it,” Pletcher said earlier this week. “He just ran evenly. It wasn’t a horrible effort.”
Made You Look is out of Night and Day, an Unbridled’s Song daughter of Hall of Fame filly Serena’s Song.
In the $100,000 Old Hat, a six-furlong dash for three-year-old fillies, Wildcat Kate inflicted revenge on 1-2 favorite Bode’s Dream by a neck at odds of 12-1 under Eduardo Nunez.
Second to that rival in the $75,000 House Party over the same track and distance on December 10, San Basilio LLC’s daughter of Kantharos pressed the chalk through splits of :22.63 and :45.69 before edging clear late.
Trained by Kathleen O’Connell, Wildcat Kate finished up in 1:11.46 over a fast track and paid $27.40.
