Alumni Hall and Colonial Colony both return to racing over the distance of their biggest career wins Saturday night in the $100,000 Maxxam Gold Cup at Sam Houston Race Park.

The 1 1/8-mile handicap is the richest of three stakes on the card, and it drew a field of seven. Colonial Colony, winner of the Grade 1 Stephen Foster at 1 1/8 miles in June, is the highweight at 121 pounds. Alumni Hall will tote second highweight of 117 pounds, along with Wally's Choice, winner of the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby, and Intelligent Male, winner of the $145,000 Claiming Crown Jewel.

ALBANY, Calif. - Hendrix, third under the wire in both the Oak Tree Derby and Bay Meadows Derby, will seek his second career victory in Saturday's Golden Gate Fields feature, a 1 1/16-mile allowance turf race.

Trainer Craig Dollase was excited about Hendrix when he last appeared in northern California, in the Bay Meadows Derby on Nov. 6.

"He's an improving 3-year-old on the right track," Dollase said before that race.

had improved his Beyer Speed Figure in five straight races, including a 101 in the Oak Tree Derby, his previous start.

PORTLAND, Ore. - The top older fillies and mares on the grounds will face off in a one-mile invitational handicap at Portland Meadows on Saturday.

Quiz the Maid will carry high weight of 121 pounds off her record of 7 wins from 11 starts at Portland Meadows, including a win in the six-furlong Diane Kem Handicap and two victories over invitational handicap company in her first three starts at this meeting.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - It would be an understatement to say that the crop of young fillies trainer Larry Jones had at Oaklawn Park last year panned out. Island Sand went on to win the Grade 1 Acorn, and Josh's Madelyn won the Grade 2 Raven Run.

Both will be seen at the Oaklawn meet this year, with Josh's Madelyn up first in Saturday's $50,000 American Beauty Stakes. She stands out against a strong field of fillies and mares in the six-furlong race, which also drew stakes winners Souris, Saltwater Runner, and Thermal Ablasion.

Live racing returns to Laurel Park for the first time since last March on Saturday, when the newly rebuilt 1 1/8-mile main track will be unveiled to the public during a nine-race card highlighted by the What a Summer, a $50,000 stakes for filly and mare sprinters.

The new dirt surface, which opened for training on Jan. 9, has drawn favorable reviews from horsemen and riders.

"The track is great," said Mario Pino, Maryland's all-time leading rider. "It is big and has a good bounce to it. It reminds me of Colonial Downs because of the sweeping turns."

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Aggadan has yet to win a graded stakes, but his recent success against Maryland-breds has certainly earned the respect of NYRA racing secretary Mike Lakow.

Lakow assigned Aggadan top weight of 123 pounds for Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 , meaning Aggadan will be spotting his seven opponents 7 to 12 pounds in the 1 1/16-mile race. The last horse to win the Aqueduct Handicap carrying more than 121 pounds was Cannonade, who carried 126 pounds in 1973, when the race was restricted to 2-year-olds.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Retired Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron said Thursday he intends to leave his management position at Santa Anita at the end of the meet to open a jockey school in Kentucky.

McCarron said he and his wife, Judy, will be traveling to the Lexington, Ky., area to purchase property. Details of the jockey school have not been completed, but McCarron said he has had the idea in his mind for years.

"I'm still working on putting together a business plan," he said. "I've been thinking about it for 15 years. I've got a good head start on the concept."

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Jimmy Jerkens nominated two fillies for Saturday's The First Lady Handicap but wound up without a starter in the race after he decided to pass with both Smokey Glacken and Boston Express.

"We came down here with the intention of running Smokey Glacken in The First Lady," said Jerkens, son of Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens. "Unfortunately she came up with a little minor problem in behind this week, forcing us to pass the race."

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Snake Mountain, who would have been one of the favorites in Saturday's Grade 3 Aqueduct Handicap, was forced to miss the race after undergoing throat surgery on Wednesday to repair an entrapped epiglottis.

The Arkansas Racing Commission may begin testing for milkshakes before races, rather than after races, if authorities believe the current system isn't effective enough.

Dr. George Wadley, the state veterinarian, said on Wednesday that the commission was to continue its postrace milkshake testing program this year when the Oaklawn Park meet began on Friday. But he said that after discussions recently with other veterinarians and testing authorities, the state may switch to prerace testing later in the meet.