Danuska's My Girl springs Las Flores upset; Dream Tree off the board

Under aggressive handling from Geovanni Franco, Jerry Hollendorfer's Danuska's My Girl registered a 3 ¼-length win in Sunday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Las Flores Stakes at Santa Anita. Sent from the gate in her first stakes assignment, the 5-year-old Kentucky-bred mare by Shackelford got six furlongs in 1:10.23.

Head and head the first eighth of a mile with even money favorite Dream Tree, Danuska’s My Girl had a one length advantage on the favorite a quarter mile out and widened through the lane in a visually impressive effort.

“Danuska’s got such a big heart,” said Franco. “I knew it the second time I rode her, she showed me she had lots of heart. 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 (runner-up) Emboldened coming and she just kept on going. I let her know Dream Tree was coming and she responded well, she was still finishing strong.”  

Now a perfect 3-for-3 with Franco, Danuska’s My Girl had been idle since registering a front-running three-quarter length one-mile allowance win here on Jan. 11.  Off at 20-1 in a field of 10 older fillies and mares, Danuska’s My Girl paid $43.20, $15.60 and $8.60.  

Owned by Bad Boy Racing, LLC, the winner, who is out of the Dayjur mare Amaday, picked up $60,000 for the win, increasing her earnings to $198,810. Danuska’s My Girl is now 13: 4-2-4 overall.  

“No question, Geovanni’s made a big difference with this mare,” said Dan Ward, assistant to Hollendorfer. “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 (Grade I, March 30).”  

Ridden by Joe Talamo, Emboldened who was far back early, took on the role of the “other Baffert” as she was entered in the shadow of Dream Tree.  Idle since running a big third in the Grade I, seven furlong La Brea Stakes Dec. 26, she made a solid late run, finishing second by a neck over Show It N Moe It.  

The second choice at 4-1, Emboldened paid $5.60 and $3.80.  

Show It N Moe It, the lone California-bred in the lineup, kept to her task in game fashion late and finished a head in front of Lady Suebee.  The narrow third choice at 4-1, Show It N Moe It paid $3.40 to show.  

Fractions on the race were 21.63, 44.83 and 57.24.