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.

There’s a stakes rush Sunday at Arapahoe Park.

Shippers from California, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and New Mexico have descended on the Aurora, Colo., track for its season-ending Gold Rush Futurity. The purse for the six-furlong race for 2-year-olds was boosted from $40,000 to $100,000 last month, helping it draw a diverse field of 12.

The Gold Rush is the lone Thoroughbred stakes on a five-stakes program that also includes the Grade 2, $150,000 Mile High Futurity for Quarter Horses.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Sunday is redemption day for Free Flying Soul, who must win the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap at Del Mar to reclaim her ranking as top female sprinter in California.

Five entered the 6 1/2-furlong race, including Sweet August Moon, who upset Free Flying Soul at Hollywood Park, Alpha Kitten, who missed the A Gleam with a fever but worked well recently, and outsiders Silver Swallow and Taste’s Sis.

Free Flying Soul finished second July 17 in the A Gleam at Hollywood, but she ran a winning race.