Spotlight shines on Hollendorfer for Rancho Bernardo win

DEL MAR, Calif. – Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer got a victory in court late last month against Del Mar, and got a victory on the track, his first of the meet, at Del Mar on Sunday, when Danuska’s My Girl led from start to finish in the Grade 3, $101,404 Rancho Bernardo Handicap for older females.

Danuska’s My Girl ($14.20) held off 3-5 favorite Anonymity to win by a half-length, with Lady Ninja another 2 3/4 lengths back in third after she hopped in the air at the start and got away well behind her eight rivals.

Danuska’s My Girl completed 6 1/2 furlongs on the fast main track in 1:17.13 following fractions of 22.27 seconds, 45.18, and 1:10.32. Geovanni Franco was up for his first Del Mar stakes win.

Hollendorfer has now won 37 stakes at Del Mar, but this summer has been unlike any other for him. It has been a tumultuous few months for Hollendorfer, who was thrown out of Santa Anita in late June and then was denied by Del Mar being able to run horses here at the start of the meet, a decision for which he got an injunction on July 26, allowing him to run horses. His longtime assistant, Dan Ward, had a handful of starters in his name the first two weeks of the meet, and Hollendorfer has had a few since, but one of the biggest barns on this circuit has had minimal impact this meet.

“The whole thing has been a problem for me and all the people who work for me,” Hollendorfer said. “We’re used to running a lot down here, and we’d like to run a lot more.”

Asked if he felt things were getting better, Hollendorfer said, emphatically, “No.”

“I’m just doing the best I can every day,” said Hollendorfer, who has lost significant business during these travails.

He is appreciative for people like Kelly Mitchell, who races as Bad Boy Racing LLC, the owner of Danuska’s My Girl.

“At least some things are working out, like winning this race for Kelly Mitchell,” Hollendorfer said.

When Hollendorfer walked out of the winner’s circle, he approached Joe Harper, Del Mar’s chief executive officer, and said, “Your favorite trainer,” followed by brief, but cordial, small talk.

“Jerry’s been a friend for 40 years,” Harper said minutes later. “The reasons this came about I don’t think will affect our friendship. Maybe a small dent.”

Danuska’s My Girl, 5, is a daughter of Shackleford who has now won six times in 16 starts. She’s 3 for 5 at Del Mar, where she has finished in the money in every start. This was her fifth win in her last six starts. She has now earned more than $330,000, including the $60,000 first prize on Sunday.