Miss Serendipity scores in Yellow Ribbon Handicap

DEL MAR, Calif. – Jockey Brice Blanc was reunited with Miss Serendipity, and it felt so good.

Blanc, idle for more than a month following an accident on the turf earlier at this Del Mar meet, returned in glorious fashion in his first mount back Monday by teaming with Miss Serendipity to take the Grade 2, $200,750 Yellow Ribbon Handicap for older female turf runners.

Miss Serendipity ($11.20) was seventh in the eight-horse field midway through the far turn, but she unleashed a strong late charge under Blanc to win by 1 1/4 lengths over 9-5 favorite Parranda.

Cozze Up Lady was a neck farther back in third, a nose in front of Stormy Lucy. They were followed, by Heat Du Jour, Wishing Gate, Need You Now, and Bunairgead.

Miss Serendipity, trained by Hall of Famer Ron McAnally, completed 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:40.98. The win was her second of the year, following the Grade 1 Gamely, in which Blanc also was aboard.

In her lone start since then, though, Miss Serendipity had a troubled trip when last of six in the Grade 2 John Mabee on Aug. 10, while Blanc was sidelined. McAnally kept the mount in the Yellow Ribbon open for him when it looked like he’d finally make it back in time.

“He’s been really loyal to me the last two, three years,” Blanc said. “Not too many people would have waited. It’s very emotional.”

Blanc said he was “a little nervous” coming back in a graded stakes race.

“I had been working horses, but I didn’t want to overdo it and get sore,” he said. “I wanted to have my air and my fitness.”

Miss Serendipity, 6, was bred in Argentina and races for Matias Cavalieri, the son of the mare’s breeder, Anselmo Emilio Cavalieri.