There was no hemming and hawing from trainer Steve Margolis a couple days before the 4-year-old filly Good Deed was to make her first start after a long layoff in the Mardi Gras Stakes on Tuesday at Fair Grounds. For lack of an allowance-race comeback option, Margolis had worked Good Deed with an eye toward this stakes return. The filly had trained strongly. She was ready to win, Margolis thought. And he was right.

Demonic, winner of a seven-furlong maiden race in his debut Jan. 13, is unlikely to start in Sunday’s $150,000 San Vicente Stakes for 3-year-olds over seven furlongs, trainer John Sadler said Tuesday.

Sadler is leaning toward running Demonic in the $300,000 San Felipe Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on March 9. The Grade 2 San Felipe is a key prep for the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby over 1 1/8 miles on April 6.

“I’m leaning toward the two turns,” Sadler said.

Owned by Lee and Susan Searing, Demonic worked six furlongs in 1:13 at Santa Anita on Monday.

Eblouissante, a 4-year-old half-sister to 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta, may have her stakes debut postponed after being diagnosed with a bruised foot following a win in an optional claimer last month.

Trainer John Shirreffs said that Eblouissante recently resumed galloping after a brief break. He was unsure whether Eblouissante could start in the $300,000 Santa Margarita Invitational over 1 1/8 miles on March 16.

“I think we’ll have to wait and see how she works,” Shirreffs said.

“We’ll gallop her a week before we work her and get her back in her routine.”

ARCADIA, Calif. – After sweeping the two stakes at Santa Anita last weekend, Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens can extend that streak of wins at the highest level this weekend at Santa Anita and at Fair Grounds later this month.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Authenticity is among the nominees for Sunday’s Grade 3 Sabin, but trainer Todd Pletcher has opted to take the more conservative route with his lightly raced mare, entering her instead for Thursday’s $54,500 allowance feature at Gulfstream Park rather than take on two-time Eclipse Award winner Royal Delta and the multiple Grade 2 winner Grace Hall in the Sabin.

ARCADIA, Calif. – One year ago at Santa Anita, horses trained by Jerry Hollendorfer had a tough time finding the winner’s circle. This year, the winner’s circle is practically a second home.

Hollendorfer won only 7 races from 71 starters last winter at Santa Anita as he and assistant Dan Ward toiled through a forgettable season.

Sister Ginger, who earned 10 points toward the Kentucky Oaks with her win in the $75,000 Martha Washington last Saturday at Oaklawn, is being pointed to the track’s next race for the division, the Grade 3, $150,000 Honeybee on March 9, trainer Steve Asmussen said.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer Bob Baffert, who last year swept Oaklawn’s graded series for 3-year-olds, said Super Ninety Nine is scheduled to ship to Arkansas for Monday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest. The horse breezed a half-mile in 47.60 seconds at Santa Anita on Tuesday and is due to arrive Thursday aboard at Tex Sutton flight from Southern California.

Golden Gate Fields is preparing for its biggest weekend of the year, a three-day splurge that includes two stakes, featuring the track’s signature race, the Grade 3, $200,000 El Camino Real Derby, a $100,000-guaranteed pick four on Saturday and two dollar days.

Purses for non-stakes races at the Keeneland spring meet will be increased by at least $1,000 per race, track officials announced Tuesday, with some races getting a raise of as much as $8,000 from previous levels.

Maiden and allowance races for 3-year-olds and upward will be run for a minimum of $58,000, while those same classes of races for 2-year-olds will be run for at least $52,000. For years, most of those races had been contested for $50,000. Also, purses for claiming races will increase by $1,000.