Considering that he has 13 victories during a 49-race career, including three already this season, the 7-year-old Cured can hardly be described as a horse who has a hard time finding the winner’s circle. Yet he remains eligible for a second-level allowance against New York-breds after failing 10 times to clear that condition since May 2008.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Good luck trying to come up with the winner of the sixth race at Hastings on Tuesday. The $7,500 claiming race for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles drew nine horses and every horse entered appears to have a legitimate chance at winning. The seven-race card begins at 6:40 p.m. Pacific.

Brinello continued his domination of the Agassiz Stakes, capturing the $50,000 race for Manitoba-breds for the fourth straight year at Assiniboia Downs on Friday night.
Trained by Carl Anderson, Brinello led throughout the one-mile Agassiz and scored by 12 1/4 lengths under jockey Larren Delorme.
Spying Eyes finished second and Percolating ran third in the field of seven.
Brinello, who returned $2.50, is a 7-year-old gelding owned by veterinarian Ross McKague.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Jockey Patrick Valenzuela won his third race on Friday’s program when Warren’s Jitterbug ($13) and Go Forth North ($6) finished in a dead heat for first in the $87,675 Sandy Blue Handicap at Del Mar.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Already listed on Inez Karlsson’s rèsumé are “amateur Swedish boxer” and “Eclipse award finalist.” Ms. Karlsson might also add “comedian."

Karlsson piloted pacesetting Saint Leon in race 5 on Friday evening at Arlington, the jockey challenge between the Young Guns and the Cagey Veterans, as Arlington had billed the race. Chasing here were retired jock Earlie Fires and stalking Bobby Sands.

At the three-eighths, I looked back and I could see Earlie coming,” Karlsson said. “He was blowing so hard, I didn’t know if it was the horse or him.”

Dan Illman and Mike Beer are joined by Harvey Pack to take a look at Saratoga's Saturday pick four. Stay tuned for new videos every Friday throughout the meet and find more in DRF's Saratoga section.

Part one:

Part two:

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Meriwether Jessica had never run as far as she had to run in Friday’s $100,000 Yaddo Stakes at Saratoga. She may never have run a better race.

Receiving an ideal stalking trip under Alan Garcia, Meriwether Jessica took over from the pacesetting Woolly Bear inside the eighth pole and was able to hold off a late-running You Go West Girl to win the Yaddo by a neck. You Go West Girl, the 3-1 favorite, got second by 1 1/4 lengths over Chestoria. It was another 1 1/4 lengths to Woolly Bear in fourth.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Windward Islands won his return from a 14-month layoff July 24 in the Grade 2 Nijinsky Stakes. The penalty he’ll pay for that surprising score is high weight of 123 pounds in Sunday’s Grade  2, $250,000 Sky Classic Stakes at Woodbine.

The 6-year-old Windward Islands has been hindered by minor problems throughout his career, according to trainer Mark Frostad. Over a yielding course in the nine-furlong Nijinsky, he rallied from fourth to prevail by 3 1/2 lengths over favored Grand Adventure.

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Queen Martha, a game runner-up to defending Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra in the Lady’s Secret Stakes, will make a third straight start at Monmouth Park on Aug. 29 in the Grade 2, $300,000 Molly Pitcher Stakes for fillies and mares.

In her first start on dirt, Queen Martha set the pace in the Lady’s Secret and continued strongly to the wire, beaten only three lengths.

A lightly raced 4-year-old trained by Patrick Biancone, Queen Martha will remain on the main track for the foreseeable future.

DEL MAR, Calif.-Awesome Gem can no longer be taken for granted in major stakes.

After winning the biggest race of his career in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup last weekend, Awesome Gem is scheduled to start in the $1 million Pacific Classic for the fourth consecutive year next Saturday, trying to improve on a second in 2007 and seventh-place finishes in 2008 and 2009.

Considering Awesome Gem’s recent form, trainer Craig Dollase thinks the summer of milestones can continue in the Pacific Classic. “He’s coming off a freshening and he has a new lease on life,” Dollase said.