Made You Look Bounces Back Huge in G3 Dania Beach

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – After an effort that disappointed his connections at the Breeders’ Cup, Made You Look bounced back with a huge performance in Saturday’s $100,000 Dania Beach (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

Ridden patiently and confidently by Javier Castellano, Let’s Go Stable and Three Chimneys Farm’s Made You Look, the favorite, was a 2 1/2-length winner of the turf race for 3-year-olds.

Finishing second in the eight-horse field was the 45-1 Clyde’s Image, who was followed under the wire by Shiraz, who was a half-length behind. The race’s second choice, the 9-5 Kitten’s Cat, checked in fourth.

Castellano put Made You Look, a son of More Than Ready, behind and in between horses down the backstretch of the 7 1/2-furlong Dania Beach. 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,” said Castellano, who won the Dania Beach for a second time. “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.”

Winning trainer Todd Pletcher said he was pleased as he watched the race unfold before him.

“He was sitting a good turf trip,” Pletcher 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.”

It was the first start of the year for Made You Look, who won the With Anticipation (G2) at Saratoga Race Course as a 2-year-old. He finished sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), a performance that disappointed Pletcher because he was training well coming into the race.

“The main thing I was disappointed about with the Breeders’ Cup was that he didn’t run his race,” the trainer 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.

$100,000 Dania Beach (G3) Quotes

Trainer Todd Pletcher (Made You Look): “He was sitting a good turf trip. 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.

“The main thing I was disappointed about with the Breeders’ Cup was that he didn’t run his race. He didn’t really fire. When you run your race and get beat, it’s one thing, but he just didn’t fire.”

Jockey Javier Castellano (Made You Look): “The way he did it, I was very impressed. 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.”

Source: Gulfstream Park