As the acrimony between the New York Racing Association and the New York Thoroughbred Horseman's Association board intensifies, there now appears to be a growing discord between the NYTHA board and some of the members it represents.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The northern California Thoroughbred circuit will run five four-day weeks in January and February and reduce the number of races run on the fair circuit as part of a 2007 calendar approved by the California Horse Racing Board's Strategic Planning Committee on Thursday.

The committee's recommendation will be presented to the full board later this month, where it is likely to be approved. The Strategic Planning Committee consists of CHRB chairman Richard Shapiro and commissioners Marie Moretti and John Amerman.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - When Keeneland announced earlier this year that it would install an artificial racing surface, track officials said that one of the principal reasons was to cut down on injuries and fatal breakdowns.

So far, so good. Through the first five days of racing, no horse suffered a catastrophic breakdown on the new main-track surface, which is called Polytrack and composed of a mix of wax-coated synthetic materials and sand. Keeneland is a part-owner of the company that manufactures and installs Polytrack.

The board of directors of the New York Racing Association met on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of filing bankruptcy by the end of the year, but it was unclear whether any specific course of action was taken.

An official at NYRA said that no one would comment on the board meeting.

Officer, the second-leading freshman sire by number of winners, progeny earnings, and stakes winners, will be relocated to Taylor Made Farm in Nicholasville, Ky., for the 2007 breeding season after an interest in him was purchased by the farm, Taylor Made said Tuesday.

Officer, a son of Bertrando out of the Septieme Ciel mare Helens Shadow, previously stood at Gainesway Farm for a 2006 fee of $15,000. Officer, who was retired after making only one start in his 3-year-old season, won three graded stakes at 2, including the Grade 1 Champagne.

A weanling filly by Sky Mesa was purchased for $167,000 late Tuesday afternoon at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company fall mixed sale in Florida, the sales-topper at that point through almost two days of the five-day sale.

The filly, out of the Meadowlake mare Sugar Run, was purchased by Living Large Stable from the Beth Bayer, agent, consignment.

The Kentucky Equine Drug Council on Monday agreed to provide $1.5 million in funding over three years to a project that will keep at least 20 Thoroughbreds in training in the state for the purposes of conducting drug-testing research.

The council approved the project after being approached by officials of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, a national group, about using the council's funds to determine withdrawal times of therapeutic drugs in horses.

The California October yearling sale may have a smaller catalog in 2007 after officials expressed disappointment at the reception that some yearlings received at this year's sale, held on Tuesday at Barretts in Pomona, Calif.

The one-day sale, considered the premier yearling sale in California, had disappointing results. While the average increased $50 from the 2005 sale, to $26,362, the gross of $4,336,900 fell 19 percent, the number sold fell 17 percent from 207 to 171, and the median fell from $17,000 to $16,000.

The Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association has restored its approval for the online account-wagering company Youbet.com to take wagers on the signal from Thistledown racetrack in Cleveland, the association announced Friday.

The horsemen's association authorized betting on the signal after Youbet deposited funds in the horsemen's account related to fees the horsemen were owed, the organization said. The horsemen's group had rescinded its approval earlier this week after it contended that Youbet had failed to make purse payments for the second quarter of 2006.

Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum continued his aggressive pursuit of yearlings at England’s Tattersalls October yearling sale on Thursday, picking up the third day’s session topper for 550,000 guineas, about $1,085,700.

The session-topping colt was a son of two-time English champion Oasis Dream out of the French stakes winner Side of Paradise, by Sadler’s Wells. Maktoum’s agent, John Ferguson, signed the ticket for the colt. Ireland’s Kilfrush Stud sold the Thursday session topper.