I’ll Fight Dempsey came out punching when he scored a front-running 2 1/2-length victory in a six-furlong maiden race at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 29. Saturday, it’s round 2 for the speedy son of Into Mischief, who runs in a seven-furlong optional-claiming race that goes as race 11 on the 12-race program.

The temporary disruption of racing at Santa Anita has not affected the training of Game Winner, the champion 2-year-old male of 2018.

Game Winner has not raced since a win in the Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby last July, and had his fourth workout of the year on Thursday, traveling a half-mile in 50 seconds at Santa Anita.

Game Winner has worked a half-mile three times since late February. He worked that distance on Feb. 26, but did not work again until March 26 when he was timed in 49.20 seconds for a half-mile.

With no short-term plans for the resumption of racing at Santa Anita, trainer Richard Baltas is making alternative arrangements for some of his stakes horses.

Baltas said on Thursday that the 3-year-old filly Venetian Harbor, the 3-year-old colt Ginobili, and the older gelding Two Thirty Five are likely to be shipped to Oaklawn Park in Arkansas for upcoming races.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Wesley Ward has had one day circled on his calendar for nearly the last six months, since the first morning he began the arduous ordeal of preparing the 50 or so yearlings in his care last fall for their 2-year-old campaigns. That day was Thursday, April 2, opening day of the Keeneland spring meet.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Woodbine Entertainment announced Wednesday that the 161st running of the Queen’s Plate has been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The historic race was originally scheduled for June 27. While a new date has not been confirmed, Woodbine Entertainment intends to host the Plate at Woodbine this year, subject to recommendations and restrictions from government and health officials related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Girls Know Best, a four-time stakes-winning mare, was recently bred to Uncle Mo, but her racing days may not be over just yet, trainer and part-owner Eddie Kenneally said.

“If they resume racing soon, she could run a time or two more,” said Kenneally, who owns Girls Know Best with Brian Chenvert and Triton Stable.

On March 7 at Gulfstream, Girls Know Best won the Captiva Island Stakes, a five-furlong turf stakes. It was her 13th win from 27 career starts. She has earned $626,847.

Though trainer Mark Casse said he has about 80 percent of his horses with him at his training center in Ocala, Fla., among the ones who are elsewhere are Grade 1 winners War of Will and Got Stormy.

Jockey Manny Franco’s victory aboard Tiz the Law in Saturday’s Grade 1 Florida Derby is likely to be his last mount for a while.

Franco returned to New York on Sunday and said he doesn’t plan to ride until New York begins racing again. Racing on the New York Racing Association circuit is on hold until at least April 24, the scheduled opening day of Belmont Park. More likely, given the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the state of New York, that opening will be pushed back to a later date.

Fonner Park in Grand Island, Neb., which brought back live racing for a trial period after halting its meet last month due to the coronavirus pandemic, intends to continue racing through the month of April, according to Chris Kotulak, the chief operating officer at Fonner.

The track’s trial period ended Wednesday.

“We did go to the racing commission and we do intend to race beyond today because we’re taking entries for next Monday,” Kotulak said on Wednesday, adding that in these times, all situations are fluid.

Wednesday was supposed to be entry day for the Santa Anita Derby. And the Blue Grass Stakes. And the Wood Memorial. All would have been run Saturday, all as final major preps for the Kentucky Derby four weeks later on May 2 at Churchill Downs.

Now, all three are at best postponed – for weeks or months – or at worst canceled. The uncertainty over those races is but a microcosm of what the sport is going through owing to the coronavirus pandemic, which as of Wednesday has shuttered all but a handful of tracks, including Santa Anita, Keeneland, and Aqueduct.