HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer David Fawkes said it would have been a little embarrassing to show up at Monday’s night’s Eclipse Award ceremonies had his Eclipse Award candidate Big Drama lost his 2011 debut 48 hours earlier in Gulfstream Park’s $100,000 Mr. Prospector Handicap.

ARCADIA, Calif. – 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.

All that makes for high anticipation for Champ Pegasus’s 2011 campaign, which begins in Monday’s $150,000 San Marcos Stakes at Santa Anita.

Ben’s Cat, whose eight-race unbeaten streak ended when he shipped to New York for a two-turn overnight stakes, returns to Maryland and resumes racing around just one turn in Monday’s holiday feature, the $75,000 Native Dancer Stakes at Laurel Park.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Square Eddie returned from a layoff of more than 11 months to win an allowance race over 6 1/2 furlongs in track record time of 1:13.11 in Friday’s seventh race at Santa Anita.

Square Eddie was on or near the led throughout the allowance race, setting early fractions of 21.47 and 43.47 seconds. He ran through the six-furlong mark in 1:06.81 and finished 3 1/4 lengths over Stacy Hope without being urged in the last few strides.

Decisive Moment was second-best shipping from Florida to Louisiana for the rich Delta Jackpot on Nov. 20, but second to none when back for another Delta try in the $250,000 Jean Lafitte Stakes on Friday night.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Oaklawn Park resumed morning training Saturday for the first time in five days following a snowstorm that had forced the track to cancel Friday’s opening-day card. The meet is scheduled to begin on Saturday.

More than five inches of snow fell on Hot Springs late Sunday, leading to the cancellation of training from Monday through Thursday. Oaklawn was able to open its track for training late Friday afternoon, after maintenance crews harrowed the surface for about eight hours.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. − About the time Soaring Empire was walking toward the starting gate for last Saturday’s Grade 3 Hal’s Hope, owner Rick Pitino was pulling into his son’s driveway in Gainesville, Fla. Pitino arrived just in time to watch on television as the star of his stable rallied to the first graded stakes win of his career.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Oaklawn Park was able to open its track for training for the first time since last Sunday late Friday afternoon, and plans to race as scheduled on Saturday.

The track was forced to cancel its opening-day card on Friday.

A snowstorm blew into Hot Springs late Sunday and forced the cancellation of training from Monday through Thursday. The track opened just before 4 p.m. Central on Friday, and about 20 horses were training in the first set. Maintenance crews had been harrowing the track since 8:30 a.m. Central.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Sidney’s Candy, who was withdrawn from Saturday’s San Fernando Stakes at Santa Anita after he was found to be walking unsound Friday, will undergo a nuclear scan test on his right hind leg Monday, trainer John Sadler said.

Sadler downplayed the severity of the problem, which he said was first noticed Friday.

“He was off a little behind,” Sadler said. “I don’t think it’s serious. He wasn’t really 100 percent. It’s his right hind. I don’t think it’s anything major.”

Jockey Omar Berrio, who suffered a minor stroke Dec. 30, is scheduled to resume riding Sunday. Berrio is booked to ride Straightomidnight in the first race, a one-mile race for $18,000 to $20,000 claimers.

On the evening of Dec. 30, Berrio was hospitalized after showing discomfort. The 42-year-old jockey said he is now taking blood pressure medication.

“The next day, I felt better,” he said.

Berrio was released from the hospital Jan. 1 and resumed working horses at Santa Anita last week.