Published Friday, August 8th, 2014   ( 9 years ago )

Miss Serendipity Face 8 in John C. Mabee Stakes

Argentine-bred Miss Serendipity, fresh from an upset triumph in the Grade I Gamely at Santa Anita in late May, will carry highweight of 123 pounds Sunday in the 57th running of the Grade II $250,000 John C. Mabee Stakes at a mile and one-eighth over the infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

An evenly-matched field of older fillies and mares will match strides in the race which honors the memory of one of the founders and onetime Chairman of the Board of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.

In addition to Miss Serendipity, the race attracted English-bred Charlie Em(Martin Garcia), Every Way (Joe Talamo), Wishing Gate (Drayden Van Dyke), Miss Ellany (Edwin Maldonado), Moulin de Mougin (Mike Smith), Irish-bred Queen of The Sand (Martin Pedroza), Stormy Lucy (Corey Nakatani) and Cozze Up Lady (Kent Desormeaux). Stormy Lucy will pack 121 pounds; the remaining contenders are in at 119.

Miss Serendipity, trained by Hall of Famer Ron McAnally, has shown steady improvement since being imported to the United States from Argentina. She won the Gamely by a nose over Emollient after finishing second in the Santa Barbara Handicap and third in the Santa Ana, both races won by Stormy Lucy.

Stormy Lucy was fourth in the Gamely behind Miss Serendipity and more recently was seventh in the Royal Heroine to Parranda.

Coming into the race after victories are Charlie Em, winner of the Possibly Pefect at Santa Anita; Queen of the Sand, successful in an optional claiming race in June, and Cozze Up Lady, winner of the restricted Osunitas Stakes at Del Mar July 19.

Of the others, Wishing Gate looms a contender. She hasn’t won in three starts since taking the Autumn Miss last October, but she won the 2013 San Clemente Handicap at Del Mar  and subsequently was beaten less than a length by Discreet Marq in the Grade I Del Mar Oaks.