The Grade 3, $200,000 Connally Breeders' Cup Turf on April 7 will be the richest of 27 stakes worth $1.6 million at the upcoming meet at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston. The track will race 68 nights, from Nov. 17 through April 7.

The Connally for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on turf was run as a graded race for the first time in 2006. Next year's running again will be supported by two $50,000 turf stakes, the Jersey Lilly Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles and the Sam Houston Turf Sprint Cup.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Butch Lehr's fingers will be crossed tighter than anyone else's Friday night when the Rolling Stones make their historic foray into Churchill Downs. The prospect of unknowing fans trampling his precious turf course is the ultimate nightmare scenario for Lehr, a 39-year Churchill employee who has been the track superintendent since 1981.

"I'm worried, to be honest about it," said Lehr.

MIAMI - A field loaded with speed and a return to the allowance ranks should set Magic Mecke up for another winning effort in Friday's $40,000 main event at Calder.

Brownie Points and Dontbotherknocking, who both shipped from Remington Park to Louisiana Downs last weekend to win $200,000 stakes on the Super Derby undercard, have returned home and will point for stakes on the Oklahoma Derby undercard Oct. 20.

Brownie Points scored a one-length win in the $200,000 Marie P. DeBartolo Oaks at Louisiana Downs. She scored her fourth stakes win in the race, which was one of her long-time objectives.

"That was one of our goals for the fall," said trainer Donnie Von Hemel.

The connections of very few horses across the land have zeroed in on the 2006 Hawthorne Gold Cup, or so it appears from the dearth of possible starters for Saturday?s race ? all $500,000 of it ? entries for which were to be taken Thursday. But the team behind Flamethrowintexan picked out the Gold Cup some months ago. Their horse came to Hawthorne last week, got in a work over the track on Monday, and, according to Kay Cooper, is good to go for Saturday?s race.

Two-time steeplechase champion McDynamo launches a comeback Friday night at the Meadowlands Racetrack in the Grade 2, $75,000 Somerset Medical Center Stakes. The Somerset is a 2 1/2-mile race over 10 National fences.

A 9-year-old gelding, McDynamo has made only one start this season, in the Grade 1 Royal Chase at Keeneland in April, when he pulled up after three-sixteenths of a mile as the 6-5 favorite.

Declan's Moon and Buzzards Bay, trainer Ron Ellis's two leading horses, will miss the Breeders' Cup, Ellis said on Tuesday.

Declan's Moon, the champion 2-year-old male of 2004, has resumed training after being given a break following a last-place finish in the Grade 2 Pat O'Brien Breeders' Cup Handicap at Del Mar on Aug. 20.

A lung infection was diagnosed after the Pat O'Brien, and Declan's Moon recently underwent a precautionary nuclear scan. Ellis said the scan revealed no injuries.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Wally Dollase admits the Grade 2, $250,000 Kelso Breeders' Cup Stakes at one mile on the turf is hardly ideal for Meteor Storm in his comeback Saturday at Belmont Park.

"It's not his best distance, but he has run some good races at one mile," Dollase said. "His best distance is probably a mile and three-eighths or a mile and a half. We're kind of giving him the race."

ARCADIA, Calif. - Runaway Cozzene had a promising start to her career last winter before being sidelined by injury. She won a $100,000 claiming race for maidens by a nose in January and finished a game second to eventual stakes winner Harriett Lane in early February.

Following the latter race, she was given the winter and spring off. Friday, she returns in an optional claimer over six furlongs for fillies and mares at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting.

Judging from her workouts in the last 60 days, Runaway Cozzene appears ready for a start.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Runaway Cozzene had a promising start to her career last winter before being sidelined by injury. She won a $100,000 claiming race for maidens by a nose in January and finished a game second to eventual stakes winner Harriett Lane in early February.

Following the latter race, she was given the winter and spring off. Friday, she returns in an optional claimer over six furlongs for fillies and mares at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting.

Judging from her workouts in the last 60 days, Runaway Cozzene appears ready for a start.