Replicating his effort in winning the Aug. 28 Charles Town Classic Stakes (G2), Willy D's took charge early and determinedly outlasted the opposition in the $347,500 Fayette Stakes (G3) Oct. 24 at Keeneland.
After taking the Charles Town Classic fairly comfortably by 1 3/4 lengths, Willy D's had to work harder to capture the Fayette. He bravely turned back a bid from runner-up Stars and Stripes, who poked a head in front in midstretch, and scored by a neck.
This Is Uscar ran third after stalking the pace. Favored Nevada Beach was 10th in the 12-horse field.
The winner, a 5-year-old Lookin At Lucky gelding, covered 1 1/8 miles on a fast main track in 1:49.56 after carving out fractions of :24.25, :48.61, and 1:12.87. His final time was the fastest in the Fayette since Tom's d'Etat covered the distance in 1:49.17 in 2019.
Willy D's paid $18.02 for a $2 win wager.
Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez said he got his mount settled into a comfortable rhythm on the lead before the pressure picked up on the second turn, when Stars and Stripes came after him from a pace-pressing position. The gelding needed urging to repel that charge, but did so with his rider's encouragement.
"I was very proud," he said. "He put in a really good fight all the way down to the wire."
Maker praised his trainee's competitiveness, noting that he had shown quality since joining his stable. Maker claimed him for $50,000 in March 2025. The gelding is 6-for-13 since and, over that stretch, has notched five stakes victories. Three of those stakes wins have come in the graded ranks.
"He's been a good horse since we've gotten him, and he's just getting gamer and gamer," Maker said.
Beau Lane bred the gelding in Kentucky out of the Mineshaft mare Boston Mine. who is a half sister to a pair of stakes winners.
Lookin At Lucky originally stood at Ashford Stud but has spent recent years at stud in Chile at Haras Don Alberto.
Willy D's is now 9-7-2 in 30 starts, with $1,734,021 in career earnings. The bulk of his bankroll has come for his current owners, Peter Proscia of Paradise Farms and Case Chambers.
Proscia praised Maker's team for its care of Willy D's and expressed satisfaction with the victory at Keeneland, a favorite venue for the ownership group.
"He's been a war horse for us," he said. "We gave him the time after the last race, and he came back and rewarded us with a win, so it's awesome."
