'Miss Serendipity' Wins $200K Yellow Ribbon At Del Mar

DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) — Miss Serendipity rallied to win the $200,000 Yellow Ribbon Handicap for older fillies and mares by 1 1/4 lengths at Del Mar on Monday, with jockey Brice Blanc aboard his first mount in five weeks.

The 6-year-old mare ran 1 1/16 miles on the turf in 1:40.98 and paid $11.20, $5.20 and $3.40.

Parranda, the 9-5 favorite, returned $3.60 and $2.60, while Cozze Up Lady was another neck back in third and paid $3.60 to show.

Blanc had been Miss Serendipity's regular rider since last winter, but after he hurt his shoulder in a spill on July 25, Rafael Bejarano picked up the mount for the John C. Mabee Stakes, in which she finished sixth.

The victory, worth $120,000, increased Miss Serendipity's career earnings to $493,600, with seven wins in 26 starts. The Argentine-bred is trained by Hall of Famer Ron McAnally.

"My first race back and it is very emotional for me," Blanc said. "Ron has been loyal to me the past two or three years. He's always there for me. So to be able to come back and ride a race like this for him and win it, you know how special that is. She was relaxed out there, so I wasn't too concerned."

In the $150,000 I'm Smokin Stakes for California-bred 2-year-olds, 2-5 favorite Wake Up Nick battled back along the rail after being passed in the upper stretch to win by a half-length.

Ridden by Mario Gutierrez, Wake Up Nick ran six furlongs in 1:11.25 and paid $2.80 to win. Wake Up Nick improved to 4-0.

Global Magician was second, and Cardiac was another half-length back in third.

Trainer Doug O'Neill made it a stakes double, saddling Wake Up Nick and then 8-5 favorite She's Complete to win the $100,000 Oak Tree Juvenile Fillies Turf by a half-length.

Ridden by Bejarano, She's Complete ran one mile on the turf in 1:35.89 and paid $5.20 to win. It was the filly's first stakes win in four career starts.

Sea Mona was second, and Madam Aamoura was 1 3/4 lengths back in third.

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