LATE BLOOMING DANUSKA’S MY GIRL HEADS SUNDAY’S GRADE III, $100,000 DESERT STORMER STAKES

By Mike Willman —-

ARCADIA, Calif. (May 15, 2019)—Jerry Hollendorfer’s late blooming Danuska’s My Girl seeks her fourth consecutive win and her second straight graded stakes score as she heads Sunday’s Grade III, $100,000 Desert Stormer Stakes at six furlongs on the Santa Anita main track. Entered for a maiden $62,500 claiming tag in July, 2018, this 5-year-old mare by Shackleford registered a career-best 95 Beyer Speed figure in winning the Grade III Las Flores Stakes here on April 7 and thus clearly heads a field of five fillies and mares in Sunday’s Desert Stormer.

Although short on quantity, the Desert Stormer field includes quality mares such as multiple graded stakes winning Selcourt and hard knocking Show It N Moe It, who was most recently third to “Danuska” in the Las Flores Stakes.

DANUSKA’S MY GIRL

Owner: Bad Boy Racing, LLC
Trainer: Jerry Hollendorfer

A maiden $62,500 claiming winner six starts back on July 29, 2018, Danuska’s My Girl got on her current role when paired for the first time with Geovanni Franco, the result being a three length allowance win going six furlongs three starts back on Nov. 22 at Del Mar. She followed that up with a three quarter length tally in a one mile allowance here Jan. 11 and in her first-ever stakes assignment, she was off at 20-1 in the Las Flores and was completely dominant, winning by 3 ¼ lengths. With Franco engaged to ride for the fourth consecutive time, Danuska’s My Girl will likely duel with Selcourt for the early lead on Sunday. Out of the Dayjur mare Amaday, Danuska’s My Girl is now 13-4-2-4 with earnings of $198,810.

SELCOURT

Owner: Keith Abrahams & Medallion Racing
Trainer: John Sadler

Lightly raced, this 5-year-old mare by Tiz Wonderful was a bit of a late bloomer herself. A first-out maiden winner in February, 2017, she went to the sidelines following her third start in May of 2017 and resurfaced at age four on Jan. 14, 2018, taking the ungraded Kalookan Queen at 6 ½ furlongs. She then took the Grade III Las Flores on Feb. 18 and the Grade II Santa Monica at seven furlongs on March 24, 2018. Subsequently well beaten in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Nov. 3, she’s been winless in three starts this year, most recently a fourth place finish in the Grade I Beholder Mile, her first attempt at two turns, on March 30. With a return to a sprint and drop in class to Grade III competition, Selcourt will be bidding for her fifth win from 11 starts on Sunday.

SHOW IT N MOE IT

Owner: Tom London, Terry Lovingier & Eugene Zondlo
Trainer: Gary Sherlock

A gem of consistency, this 4-year-old California-bred daughter of Grace Upon Grace kept to her task when third, beaten 3 ½ lengths by Danuska’s My Girl in the Grade III Las Flores Stakes April 7. A winner of two straight sprints versus Cal-breds on Jan. 10 and Feb. 24, she proved she belonged in graded stakes competition in the Las Flores and earned a solid 88 Beyer Speed figure. The leading money earner in the field with $447,604, she has an overall mark of 20-6-4-5.

YUVETSI

Owner: Hronis Racing, LLC
Trainer: John Sadler

Although idle since well beaten going 6 ½ furlongs in the Grade III LA Woman Stakes Oct. 7, this 5-year-old Bodemeister mare was a smashing 2 ½ length winner of the Grade III, 6 ½ furlong Rancho Bernardo Stakes two starts back on Aug. 12 and if ready, poses a dangerous threat as perhaps the “Other Sadler.” With regular rider Tyler Baze in Kentucky, Yuvetsi will be ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, who last rode her in her maiden victory at 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course on Nov. 6, 2016. Out of the Speightstown mare Mother Ruth, Yuvetsi is 14-4-3-2 with earnings of $241,930.

THE GRADE III DESERT STORMER WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

Selcourt—Joe Talamo—121
Yuvetsi—Drayden Van Dyke—121
Smiling Tigress—Tiago Pereira—121
Danuska’s My Girl—Geovanni Franco—125
Show It N Moe It—Rafael Bejarano–121

First post time for a nine-race card on Sunday is at 1 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

ABOUT SANTA ANITA PARK
Santa Anita Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is North America’s premier supplier of virtual online horseracing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.

ABOUT THE STRONACH GROUP
The Stronach Group (TSG) is a world-class entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred horse racing at the core. The company’s mission is executed through the distinct but interconnected pillars of Racing and Gaming, Entertainment, Technology and Real Estate Development. TSG is dedicated to delivering the best in class Thoroughbred horse racing content and operations. The company holds some of the greatest brands in the industry including, Southern California’s Santa Anita Park, “The Great Race Place”; South Florida’s Gulfstream Park, home to the $16 million Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series and retail destination, The Village at Gulfstream Park; Pimlico Race Course, home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Laurel Park and Rosecroft Raceway in Maryland; Oregon’s Portland Meadows; and the San Francisco Bay Area’s, Golden Gate Fields. TSG is a leader in digital and mobile wagering technology through its subsidiaries AmTote and Xpressbet and is a major distributor of horse racing content to a global audience through Monarch Content Management. The award winning Adena Springs is the breeding and training facility of The Stronach Group with stables in Kentucky, Florida and Ontario.