Horse Racing News by Steve Andersen

Last January, Champ Pegasus was a maiden. By July, he was a two-time winner and stakes-placed. By October, he was a two-time stakes winner. A month later, he nearly won the nation's biggest turf race in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Churchill Downs.

The initial list of races for Sidney's Candy at Santa Anita this winter did not include a start in Saturday's $150,000 San Fernando Stakes.

When trainer Bob Baffert realized that Saturday's $150,000 San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita may have only four starters, he had a quick opinion of the chances of his starter, Spurrier.

Unzip Me won her 2011 debut in Sunday's $100,000 Monrovia Stakes at Santa Anita. Last year, she did not win her first stakes until March, in her second start.

Harmonious won two Grade 1 stakes on turf for 3-year-old fillies in 2010, earning a reputation as one of the top members of her generation. Expect her to solidify that status in a small field in Saturday's $150,000 Robert Frankel Stakes at Santa Anita.

Monday, in the third start of his current campaign, Jeranimo won the second Grade 2 stakes of his career in the $150,000 San Gabriel Stakes on turf at Santa Anita.

Twirling Candy broke Spectacular Bid's 30-year-old track record for seven furlongs with a nose victory in Sunday's $250,000 Malibu Stakes on the first card run on the new dirt track at Santa Anita.

Sidney's Candy won his fourth stakes of the year at the track, and fifth of his career, in Sunday's $150,000 Sir Beaufort Stakes at Hollywood Park.

Santa Anita opened its rain-deluged main track for training Monday for the first time since Friday, but track president George Haines said severe rainstorms expected through Wednesday could curtail training this week. The winter-spring meet opens Sunday.

Hollywood Park's seven-week fall meeting ended on Sunday with a decline in average ontrack and all-sources mutuel handle, and ontrack attendance, according to figures released by the racetrack.