Miss Serendipity wins Gamely at Santa Anita

ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) Miss Serendipity won the $300,000 Gamely Stakes for fillies and mares by a nose over Emollient at Santa Anita on Monday.

Ridden by Brice Blanc, Miss Serendipity ran 1 1/8 miles on the turf in 1:46.22 and paid $29.80, $10 and $6.20 as a 13-1 shot. It was the 6-year-old mare's first win in five U.S. starts after coming from Argentina for Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally.

Emollient returned $5.20 and $3.60. She is trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott and was ridden by Rosie Napravnik, who flew in from Kentucky for the race.

Parranda was another 2 1/4 lengths back in third and paid $3.20 to show as the 2-1 favorite.

The victory, worth $180,000, increased Miss Serendipity's career earnings to $373,358, with six wins in 24 starts.

''I wasn't sure whether she got beat or not,'' McAnally said. ''She's got a good disposition and everything about her was good and she finally put it all together.''

Emollient was a bit erratic as she got close to the finish line.

''I was full of horse the whole way but she really hangs when she gets out front,'' Napravnik said. ''She ducked when I got her with the stick and she was a little bit all over the place in the stretch. She's super talented. I just think it's more of having to trick her into doing the right thing.''

In the $100,000 Los Angeles Stakes, Cyclometer won by 2 1/2 lengths after favorite Wild Dude was a late scratch.

Ridden by Edwin Maldonado, Cyclometer ran six furlongs in 1:09.02 and paid $4 to win. With the late scratch, the field was reduced to three horses so there was no place and show wagering.

Wine Police finished second, while Color of Courage was another 10 3/4 lengths back in third.

Wild Dude, a 3-5 favorite, was scratched with two minutes to post by the stewards on the recommendation of acting track veterinarian Dana Stead, who said the horse's stride looked off in his left front foot.

''When that horse scratched, it turned into a match race between me and the one (Wine Police) so I just figured I would let him run the way he wanted,'' Maldonado said.

The victory, worth $60,000, increased Cyclometer's career earnings to $417,004, with six wins in 21 starts.

''He's extremely sharp,'' trainer, breeder and co-owner Bruce Headley said. ''When Wine Police came at us again, it looked like he was playing possum, and here he comes again, so it made your heart beat a little harder.''