Franco, Danuska's My Girl perfect pair in Santa Anita's Desert Stormer

Unbeaten now in four consecutive pairings with jockey Geovanni Franco, Bad Boy Racing’s Danuska’s My Girl blasted out of the gate and never looked back, taking Sunday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Desert Stormer Stakes at Santa Anita Park by a half-length over a determined Show It N Moe It.

Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Danuska’s My Girl, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred mare by Shackleford, got six furlongs on a fast track in 1:10.12.  

“She’s been improving every time I’ve gotten on her,” said Franco, who rode her for the first time in a three length allowance win going six furlongs at Del Mar on Nov. 22. “Jerry said, ‘You’re on the fastest horse, just get her out of the gate and she’ll do the rest.'

"She’s got a big heart and she ran really good.”  

Breaking from the No. 2 post in a field reduced by scratches to three distaffers aged 3 and up, Danuska’s My Girl went head and head with Yuvetsi to the five-sixteenths pole and then held sway through the lane over California-bred Show It N Moe It.  

A 3 ¼-length winner in similar fashion of the Las Flores Stakes (G3) on April 7, Danuska’s My Girl was off at 4-5 and paid $3.80 to win in a race with win wagering only.

“Geovanni rides her really good, no question,” said Hollendorfer. “She’s been training really well and she’s put on a lot of weight. We have given her plenty of time between races and we think she’s doing well that way…We just hope to keep her going."

Next, Hollendorfer said, could be Los Alamitos' Great Lady M (G2) on July 6.  

With her second consecutive graded stakes win in hand, Danuska’s My Girl is now 14: 5-2-4 and with the winner’s share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $258,810.  

Trained by Gary Sherlock and ridden by Rafael Bejarano, Show It N Moe It, a 4-year-old daughter of Grace Upon Grace, was off at 7-5 and finished 20 lengths in front of Yuvetsi.  

Fractions on the race were 21.73, 45.10 and 57.42.