Meeting easier company and cutting back in distance paid dividends for Fire With Fire ($5), who scored his first stakes win Sunday while recording his first victory since August 2011, romping to a 2 1/4-length victory in the $52,400 Joseph T. Grace Handicap at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, Calif.

The 5-year-old Distorted Humor gelding, coming out of a fifth-place finish in the 1 3/4-mile, Grade 2 San Juan Capistrano and a third in the 1 1/2-mile, Grade 2 San Luis Rey, broke sharply, taking the lead and cruising to victory in the 1 1/16-mile turf race in 1:40.67.

[bc_video_id:300361:]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Jockey Ramon Dominguez is struggling to come to terms with the fact that his riding career is over, and he has not given much thought about what he will do in the future.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Justin Phillip became a Grade 1 winner while further muddling the already wide-open picture in the sprint division when rallying for a decisive two-length victory over Bahamian Squall in Sunday’s $400,000 Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga.

Delaunay, the 8-5 favorite in a compact field of five, finished fourth after vying for the lead throughout.    

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Smartyfly ($13.40) led virtually all the way in Sunday’s $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, which was marred by the fatal breakdown of Woodbine Oaks winner Nipissing.

Smartyfly was hounded by the favored Spring in the Air throughout the 1 1/4-mile turf route while setting moderate fractions of 25.90 seconds, 50, and 1:14.07 over firm ground. Spring in the Air drew alongside her in the stretch, but Smartyfly repelled her bid in the final furlong and draw clear to score by three lengths in 2:03.27.

This content is part of a free preview of DRF Plus. Click to learn more.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Marketing Mix remains on schedule for the $750,000 Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington Park on Aug. 17, but there is a chance she could remain in California and face males later this month.

After watching Marketing Mix work five furlongs in 1:00.20 on Sunday, trainer Tom Proctor said the $200,000 Del Mar Handicap on turf Aug. 24 or the Pacific Classic the following day are possibilities.

This content is part of a free preview of DRF Plus. Click to learn more.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Lady of Fifty won her first Grade 1 race in the $300,000 Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar on Saturday, earning a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic at Santa Anita in November and proving her status among California’s top older females.

The flipside is what awaits her this fall.

“Looks like we get to run into Royal Delta,” trainer and co-owner Jerry Hollendorfer said.

This content is part of a free preview of DRF Plus. Click to learn more.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Royal Delta, the reigning older female champion, and Princess of Sylmar, the leader of this year’s 3-year-old filly division, topped a busy work tab Sunday at Saratoga.

In her first work since winning the Delaware Handicap by 10 3/4 lengths July 20, Royal Delta breezed four furlongs in 48.08 seconds over the Oklahoma training track. Royal Delta is pointing to the Grade 1 Personal Ensign here Aug. 25.

Yes I’m Lucky broke alertly from the No. 1 post and contested the pace every step of the way in the $59,200 Tyro Stakes at Monmouth Park on Sunday, surviving a stretch duel with stablemate Run for Logistics to win by 1 3/4 lengths and remain undefeated.

Yes I’m Lucky, with Paco Lopez aboard, finished the five-furlong test on good turf in 56.93 seconds. He paid $5.20 as the favorite in a field of five juveniles. The Yes It’s True colt stamped himself as a major contender for the Grade 3 Sapling Stakes for juveniles going six furlongs at Monmouth Park on Sept. 1.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Youcan’tcatchme, living up to her name, bounced out of the gate from her outside post and led her six rivals in a merry chase in Sunday’s $100,600 Etobicoke Stakes.

Trained by Sam DiPasquale and making her first start since Nov. 16, she was ridden for the first time by Justin Stein. Youcan’tcatchme prevailed by 2 1/4 lengths and stopped the clock in 1:09.28 in the six-furlong race for fillies and mares.

“I’d seen her race and worked in company with her,” Stein said. “She’s a beautiful filly. Sam just said, ‘Put her in the race,’ which is what I did.”

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Alpha Bettor won the Grade 3 Seagram Cup for the second straight time here Saturday. But the story of the race was Ultimate Destiny, owned and trained by Alec Fehr, who finished second but was declared a non-starter when the stewards ruled that his gate had opened prematurely, creating  an unfair advantage.

All wagers were refunded, and Fehr was out $36,000 as a result of the decision.