It’s a daunting challenge to find good news these days, yet for trainer Ed Barker the realization that horse racing in New York will be suspended until April 24 at the earliest has a small silver lining.

After shipping from Florida to Louisiana in search of a race that suited her talents, Peter Callahan’s Swiss Skydiver stayed in the Sunshine State March 28 and wound up earning a trip to Kentucky five months from now.

Alex Campbell Jr.’s homebred Mean Mary lived up to her status as even-money favorite March 28 when she led at every point of call to win the $100,000 Orchid Stakes Presented by Rood and Riddle (G3T) at Gulfstream Park over 1 3/8 miles. 

Rather than favored Zulu Alpha, who trainer Maker saddled to win the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1T) and the MacDiarmida Stakes (G2T), it was his less-heralded stablemate Bemma’s Boy that captured the Kitten’s Joy Pan American (G2T).

The Elkstone Group’s Social Paranoia picked up the first graded victory of his career when he sailed home down the center of deep stretch to win the $100,000 Appleton Stakes (G3T) March 28 at Gulfstream Park.

The final Saturday of March at Rosehill seems to be a day on the calendar enjoyed by Verry Elleegant and her connections as she returned March 28 to the same meeting of her maiden group 1 victory 12 months ago to take out the Kia Tancred Stakes (G1).

Sackatoga Stable’s favored Tiz the Law surged to the front turning for home and then drew clear to take the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby for 3-year-olds March 28 at a Gulfstream Park facility that was closed to the public.

After shipping from Florida to Louisiana in search of a race that suited her talents, Peter Callahan’s Swiss Skydiver stayed in the Sunshine State March 28 and wound up earning a trip to Kentucky five months from now.

In a world changing by the minute, the champion juvenile filly of 2019 took strides toward an uncertain future March 28 at Oaklawn Park.

A 60-1 shot making his graded stakes debut provided an emotional victory for his connections March 28 in the $100,000 Hal’s Hope Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

Vekoma, unraced since finishing 12th in the 2019 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs, reappeared in noticeable fashion March 28 by winning the $75,000 Sir Shackleton Stakes at Gulfstream Park by 3 3/4 lengths.

All American Ruidoso Downs have decided to postpone until further notice the arrival of horsemen and horses to the Ruidoso Downs barn area.

Jockeys and their agents will not be permitted on the Santa Anita Park backstretch for the foreseeable future in an effort to minimize the number of people at the Southern California track during morning training.

Penn National Gaming Inc. announced March 27 that it would implement unpaid furloughs impacting approximately 26,000 employees companywide beginning April 1.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has forced Arqana into considering rescheduling its Deauville Breeze-Up Sale. 

ITV Racing are to fill the absent spot left after the cancellation of the Grand National with a computer-simulated running of the race. The Virtual Grand National will broadcasted live on ITV1 on April 4 at 5 p.m.

Jockeys and their agents will not be permitted on the Santa Anita Park backstretch for the foreseeable future in an effort to minimize the number of people at the Southern California track during morning training.

New York State will build a 1,000-bed emergency hospital at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens to try to help the region accommodate an expected surge of COVID-19 patients in the coming weeks, leading to the cancelation of winter/spring racing.

Herrschaft, a Kentucky-bred Will Take Charge colt, powered to a convincing upset victory in the Fukuryu Stakes March 28 at Nakayama Racecourse, vaulting into the lead on Japan’s Road to the Kentucky Derby series.

Oaklawn Park continues to operate in a scaled-down setting, minus, among other things, spectators, bugler, and a newly expanded casino, a revenue stream that had fueled the highest purse structure in the country this winter and early spring.