Winners of last four Connallys clash

Candid Glen and Warleigh, who have combined to win the last four runnings of the $200,000 Connally Breeders' Cup Turf Handicap at Sam Houston Race Park, will take on recent Grade 2 winner Rapid Proof in the 11th running of the race Saturday night.

Eight horses were entered Wednesday in the Connally, a 1 1/8-mile turf race that will close out the meet. The Connally is also the richest race of the season. The undercard includes the $50,000 Sam Houston Turf Sprint Cup and the $50,000 Jersey Lily.

Rapid Proof is the 118-pound starting highweight in the Connally, and will break from the rail. To his immediate outside is Warleigh, who won the Connally last year, while Candid Glen, who won the race in 2001, 2002, and 2003, will break from post 4.

Hal Wiggins trains Rapid Proof, who scored a 31-1 upset last out in the Grade 2 Mervin Muniz Memorial Handicap at Fair Grounds. Wiggins has won two previous runnings of the Connally, both with Chorwon, in 1998 and 1999.

Herculated, the Sea o' Erin winner at Arlington, galloped over the Sam Houston turf on Wednesday. He will break from post 5.

Wire Bound an up-and-coming colt based at Tampa Bay Downs who has won 5 of 11 starts on turf, drew post 8. Quincy Hamilton, who has already clinched the meet riding title, has the mount for trainer Manuel Criollo. In his last start, Wire Bound won the $100,000 Tampa Bay Breeders' Cup.

* Testify had been pointing for the Turf Sprint Cup, a race he has won twice, but he missed a few days of training and instead will make his seasonal debut in Kentucky, said his trainer, Randy Morse. Morse said one option is the Grade 3, $100,000 Shakertown at Keeneland on April 16.