Danuska's My Girl Earns First Stakes Win in Las Flores
Image:
Description:
Photo: BENOIT PHOTO
Danuska's My Girl and jockey Geovanni Franco win the Las Flores at Santa Anita Park
Bad Boy Racing's Danuska's My Girl scored at odds of 20-1 in the $100,000 Las Flores Stakes (G3) April 7 at Santa Anita Park to win her stakes debut for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer over even-money favorite Dream Tree, who faded to finish fifth.
The six-furlong test that drew a field of 10 older fillies and mares figured to be a lock for the Bob Baffert-trained Dream Tree, who was making her season debut. The 4-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo won five straight starts in 2017-18 before finishing off the board in the Dec. 26 La Brea Stakes (G1), which closed her sophomore year.
Coming into Sunday's Las Flores, the 5-year-old Danuska's My Girl brought a record of three wins from 12 starts. After breaking her maiden in her eighth start in a July maiden claiming event at Del Mar, the Shackleford mare accomplished back-to-back allowance optional-claiming wins Nov. 22 and Jan. 11.
After a brief shuffle for the lead in the Las Flores, Danuska's My Girl outran Dream Tree, who settled into second to her outside with Lady Suebee and Amuse in pursuit. With little change in order, Danuska's My Girl and jockey Geovanni Franco clicked off fractions of :21.63 and :44.83 through a half-mile. The pair then proceeded to open on the field in the stretch as Emboldened and Show It N Moe It rallied for place honors.
"I knew it the second time I rode her, she showed me she had lots of heart," Franco said. "Today the only way to steal this race was to just go. I knew she would fight them off whenever they got close to her, and she sure did. She could feel Emboldened coming, and she just kept on going."
Completing the distance in 1:10.23 over a fast track, Danuska's My Girl won by 3 1/4 lengths. The winner returned $43.20, $15.60, and $8.60. Runner-up Emboldened paid $5.60 and $3.80, and Show It N Moe It returned $3.40 to show.
"No question, Geovanni's made a big difference with this mare," Hollendorfer assistant Dan Ward said. "We like the way he rides. He's aggressive, and they run for him. We nominated to this race because it looked like all the top sprinters ran last week in the Beholder Mile (G1).
"I didn't see a lot of speed. I thought if she breaks out of there well, she will be very tough. She usually is when on the lead. Also, when she works, she won't let anyone by her. She won long last time, she's done really well with Geovanni, and the time in between races didn't bother me because she likes the time."
Fernandez-Robles Family Trust and Flying H Stables bred Danuska's My Girl in Kentucky. She is out of the Dayjur mare Amaday and is a half sister to five other winners, including multiple stakes winner Vieja Luna.