LOUISVILLE, Ky. - For a few years in the 1990's, Donnie K. Von Hemel won his share of races in Kentucky, bringing his best horses here every spring and fall. But he has made infrequent returns in recent years, preferring to stay close to his home base and following a circuit of Oaklawn Park, Lone Star Park, and Remington Park.

Three of the top five finishers from the Breeders' Cup Sprint two weeks ago, including winner Thor's Echo, are among 21 pre-entries for the Grade 1, $300,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel Park on Nov. 25.

The Dash headlines a Fall Festival of Racing card that features eight stakes races and more than $1 million in purses.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - When the leading rider at the Churchill Downs fall meet, Calvin Borel, took off all his mounts Wednesday because of a chronically sore knee, it cost an inattentive bettor far more money than it possibly could have cost Borel, his agent, or any of the horsemen for whom the jockey was scheduled to ride.

Notional has raced just once, but that race was so impressive that he might go favored in the Prevue against more experienced rivals. He sat just off the pace going six furlongs, finished powerfully, and got a Beyer Speed Figure of 105 in his debut Oct. 21 at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting. The extra furlong of the Prevue should be well within his range.

Multiple stakes winner Ah Day, coming off two of the fastest races of his career, is well spotted to secure his third straight stakes victory in the $75,000 Northern Dancer at Laurel Park.

The 1 1/8-mile race, restricted to 3-year-old Maryland-breds, drew a field of six.

The weather and track conditions, rather than weight, will determine where the star West Virginia-bred Confucius Say runs this weekend.

The 8-year-old Confucius Say is cross-entered in Saturday's $54,000 Stymie Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile race at Delaware Park, and the restricted $50,000 Frank Gall Memorial Handicap, a seven-furlong race at his home base, Charles Town.

There are plusses and minuses to both events.

Racing at Aqueduct has been moved from the main track to the inner dirt track for November 17 and races originally carded for 6 1/2 and 7 furlongs have been changed to 6 furlongs. Customers who have downloaded the early edition of the November 17 Aqueduct racecard should redownload to get the adjusted past performances.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - In a pre-emptive move, Aqueduct has shifted its Friday, Saturday, and Sunday cards to the winterized inner track.

With heavy rain in the forecast for late Thursday, the New York Racing Association hopes to prevent a repeat of the Nov. 9 cancellation that followed a torrential downpour.

PHOENIX - They have to beat a Southern California invader in Saturday's $40,000 Chandler Stakes at Turf Paradise - a familiar theme at stakes during this meet. Princess McLean, a winner on the hillside turf course at the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita last month, will be favored against nine opponents in the 7 1/2-furlong turf event for 3-year-old fillies.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Questions abound regarding Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Woodbine Slots Cup, a 1o1/16-mile stakes that has attracted a stellar eight-horse field.

Can Eccentric duplicate his impressive stakes victory at Keeneland, and will he be able to hold off his classy stablemate Pellegrino? How will sharp Vancouver shipper True Metropolitan handle a step up in class? Will the red-hot front-runners Just Rushing and Barracuda Boy hook up in a suicidal speed duel? Is Queen's Plate winner Edenwold overmatched?