Roy Wood will resign as the executive director of the California Horse Racing Board at the end of 2004, the CHRB announced on Friday.

Wood, 60, said he and his wife, Gennie, will relocate to Louisiana, where he will become part of the management of Foxwood Plantation, a Thoroughbred farm. Wood has a background as an owner, breeder, and trainer.

In a statement released by the CHRB, Wood said the primary reason for the couple's move was a respiratory problem that his wife experienced in Sacramento, where the CHRB is located.

A hearing on Fair Grounds's reorganization plan and dismissal of its bankruptcy proceedings, scheduled for next Friday, has been postponed and rescheduled for Sept. 21. . . . The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's August yearling sale opens Monday in Ocala, Fla., at 11 a.m. Eastern. The sale, which runs through Thursday, will offer a total of 1,214 yearlings in one select session and three open sessions; the sale can be viewed online at www.obssales.com.

A report commissioned by the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association argues that racing would be "leaving money on the table" if it took drastic action against rebate shops.

DRF Online customers who purchase a Formulator 4 daily plan or a single card can now purchase additional racecards the same as they can for Pdf or Formulator Basic cards. The cost of additional Formulator 4 cards purhcased via Add-a-Track is $1.50 per card.

Jockey Jamie Spencer has been fined $1,500 for his ride aboard Powerscourt last Saturday in the Arlington Million. Powerscourt finished first by 1 1/2 lengths, but was disqualified to fourth for impeding Epalo. . . . Soto, winners of the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby, has been retired, trainer Michael Dickinson announced Wednesday. The 4-year-old colt is a son of Dehere and the winning Crafty Prospector mare Subtle Fragrance. Stud plans are pending for Soto, who retires with a record of 6-5-1-0 and $666,164 in earnings. . . .

Jim Gallagher, a former New York Racing Association official and New York state regulator, was appointed on Monday as the executive director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority.

The position has been vacant since shortly after Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher abolished the authority's predecessor, the Kentucky Racing Commission, in January. Just after the restructuring, the commission's executive director, Bernie Hettel, resigned.

Jockey Perry Ouzts won five races at River Downs Sunday, including the $40,000 Buckeye Native Stakes aboard Hank's Rib. . . . Churchill Downs Inc. has announced two appointments: Andy Skehan, a senior vice president for corporate sales and marketing, was promoted to chief operating officer of the corporation, and Jim Gates, acting general manager for Churchill racetrack, was named general manager.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - New data from a task force examining handle at offtrack betting sites has given new urgency to the question of whether the racing industry is better off with or without rebate shops.

Smarty Jones arrived at Three Chimneys Farm near Lexington, Ky., on Monday and settled into former Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew's old stall.

Smarty Jones, the recently retired winner of this year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, arrived at Three Chimneys at 7:45 a.m., according to farm spokeswoman Margaret Layton. After a quick cleaning and a brief tour of the farm, he was placed in his new stall, which overlooks Three Chimneys' courtyard.

* Moonshine Justice ($5.30) notched his second stakes in a row after scoring a 1 1/2-length win in the $164,550 Vandal, a six-furlong dash for 2-year-olds at Woodbine.

* Leslie's Love ($3.40) contested the early pace in the Hallowed Dreams Stakes before easing away in the stretch to score a 1 3/4-length win in the inaugural running of the event at Louisiana Downs.