ARCADIA, Calif. - Buckland Manor returned from a layoff this month without an obvious race for his comeback. Having few options, owners Trudy McCaffery and John Toffan have chosen to supplement Buckland Manor to Saturday's $250,000 Oak Tree Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita, a race that serves as a Breeders' Cup Mile prep for some starters.

Trainer Paco Gonzalez is not looking that far down the road - at least not yet.

"He would have to run very big," Gonzalez said of the Oak Tree Mile. "I've got no other place to run."

CHICAGO - The human connections of Herculated just don't see the point of a "show the world" approach, not right now at least. The time is not ripe to tackle Grade 1 horses in this weekend's Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland, so Herculated is coming back to Chicago instead, and he probably will be favored Saturday at Hawthorne in the $150,000 Carey Memorial Handicap.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Alphabet Soup won the Breeders' Cup Classic at age 5. So did Black Tie Affair. Perhaps that explains why Lentil, a daughter of Alphabet Soup out of a Black Tie Affair mare, has gotten so good in this, her 5-year-old year.

Lentil's efforts in her last two races - as well as the lack of other speed in the race - make her the one to catch and beat in Friday's $60,000 Gaviola Stakes at Belmont Park. The one-mile Gaviola, for fillies and mares who have not won a stakes race in 2003-04, drew 13, though only 12 will be permitted to run.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Mr O'Brien, who is coming off a terrible effort in an off-the-turf stakes at Pimlico, will be back on his preferred surface in Saturday's $350,000 Kelso Breeders' Cup Handicap at Belmont Park.

Mr O'Brien finished last, beaten 21 lengths, in the Shapiro Memorial Breeders' Cup Handicap, a race that was moved to the dirt because of rain Sept. 18. Trainer Robin Graham decided to run Mr O'Brien because he had previously won on a wet track.

By the time the Shapiro was run, the track was listed as fast.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Queen's Plate winner Niigon is enjoying life on the farm these days, having been turned out for the season not long after running fourth in the Sept. 6 Pennsylvania Derby.

But his Chiefswood Stable compatriot Alleged Ruler is ready to pinch-hit here in Sunday's Ontario Derby, and he could do Niigon a good turn by knocking off A Bit O'Gold and Organ Grinder in the final open 3-year-old race of the meeting. A Bit O'Gold, Organ Grinder, and Niigon would have to be considered the leading candidates in the Sovereign Award voting for the division.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Average daily handle on live racing for the recently concluded Assiniboia Downs meeting decreased slightly from last year to $127,270, compared to $136,753 in 2003. The decrease can mainly be attributed to less wagering at other outlets on Assiniboia's races. Offtrack handle on the track's races averaged $40,449 per day compared to $47,064 for the previous year.

There was also a slight decrease in ontrack handle, to $86,821 per day from $89,689 in 2003.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Dynever has shown flashes of brilliance in his career, posting a lifetime-best Beyer Figure of 116 for his rallying third in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita.

The springboard to that effort was a solid second behind Bowman's Band in last year's Grade 2, $500,000 Meadowlands Breeders' Cup Stakes. Once again, Dynever, could be bound for the Breeders' Cup, depending on how he runs Friday night in The Meadowlands Cup.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Sean Greely, the Monmouth and Meadowlands racing secretary from 2000-2003 and also a former racing secretary at Hialeah, has been appointed the racing secretary at Golden Gate Fields for its meet, which begins next month.

Greely's first day on the job was Monday, and he's been busy introducing himself to northern California horsemen.

Greely, 41, has been involved in racing his entire life. He is the son of long-time racing official and Keeneland president William Greely and the brother of Kevin Greely, the current racing secretary in Dubai.

Pine Stormy, winner of the $100,000 Charles Town Dash on July 4, and Ribbon Cane, whose current four-race winning streak began with back-to-back stakes wins at Charles Town, are the headliners in a pair of Friday night sprint stakes at the West Virginia track.

The City of Charles Town Handicap, which goes as race 7 at 4 1/2 furlongs, and the City of Ranson Handicap (race 8), a seven-furlong race for fillies and mares, are each worth $50,000 and serve as an appetitizer to Saturday night's West Virginia Breeders Classics program.

The undefeated Foolininthemeadow joins more proven Great Lakes Downs stars Secret Romeo and Rockem Sockem as the headliners on Saturday's Michigan Sire Stakes program. The Sire Stakes, which will be held for the 20th time this weekend, are a series of of six $120,000 races for the progeny of Michigan stallions.

The richest night on the Great Lakes Downs racing calendar, the Sire Stakes drew five full fields of 10, and a field of six in the older filly and mare division.