Santa Anita and the Del Mar have teamed to create the $1 Million Wild West Bonus, which will provide $1 million in additional money to the winning connections of any horse that sweeps three of Southern California’s most prestigious grade 1 races.

OXO Equine’s Travel Column will attempt to begin her sophomore season the way she ended her juvenile campaign when she takes on eight other fillies in the $300,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes Presented by Fasig-Tipton (G2) Feb. 13 at Fair Grounds.

Dr. Jeff Blea will take the position in July when Dr. Rick Arthur retires from the job he’s held since 2006.

Retired jockey James “J.J.” Sunseri, 70, of Erlanger, KY, died Jan. 2 from injuries he sustained in a Dec. 13 auto accident. He was 70.

Champion trainer John Moore is noted for his patience with horses but he is in no mood to play the waiting game now that he is domiciled in Sydney, with his agent son George helping young sire Capitalist set a new Inglis Classic Yearling Sale record.

Turf Writer Howard Senzell, who wrote the “Howard’s Picks” column covering the Santa Rosa meeting for the Press Democrat, died Jan. 24. He was 74.

Among seven maiden winners highlighted in this week’s Maiden Watch column are two impressive winners at Gulfstream Park.

Bill Mott, who sent out the 1-2 finishers in the Feb. 6 Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3), said he hopes to return to Tampa Bay Downs with at least one of the 3-year-old colts March 6 for the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2).

Marshall Cassidy, who served as the New York Racing Association track announcer from 1979-90 and was noted for his enduring accuracy and even-keeled delivery, died Feb. 7. He was 75.

While the recent cold snap may have kept a few more horsemen browsing horses on their computer screens than on the sales grounds, the buying bench at the Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale will likely not lack for competition.

The fifth race at Santa Anita Park Feb. 7 marked the highly anticipated debut of Bob Baffert-trained Bezos, but it was 20-1 shot Dream Shake who stole the show for trainer Peter Eurton.

B. Wayne Hughes’ Spendthrift Farm has acquired 50% ownership interest in Keepmeinmind, winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) last fall at Churchill Downs and currently second on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 18 points.

Independence Hall, who outran his odds of 27-1 to finish third behind Knicks Go in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park, could make his next start in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) March 6 at Santa Anita Park.

Klaravich Stables’ Risk Taking was reported to be in good order Feb. 7, the day after the 3-year-old Medaglia d’Oro colt won the Withers Stakes (G3) by 3 3/4 lengths at Aqueduct Racetrack. He earned 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Dual Grand National hero Tiger Roll may skip a historic attempt to become the second horse to win the race three times and instead contest the Irish version, his owner Michael O’Leary has said.

Glass Slippers has been crowned Yorkshire Horse of the Year for 2020—and her rivals were immediately warned she could be even better in 2021.

Idle since winning a restricted stakes at Del Mar July 10, Hit the Road came back running Feb. 6 at Santa Anita Park as he strode home to a 3 3/4-length win in the Thunder Road Stakes (G3), providing trainer Dan Blacker with his first graded win.

While the snow on the ground and in the forecast for the following day framed the $250,000 Withers Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack with icy thoughts of winter, the winner did a pretty nice job of igniting thoughts of a certain Saturday in May.

Ed and Susie Orr’s Boldor is 2-for-2 this year after securing his second straight stakes victory in the $150,000 King Cotton Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

Concert Tour battled down the Santa Anita Park stretch trying to get the edge on his Bob Baffert-trained stablemate Freedom Fighter in the $200,000 San Vicente (G2) Feb. 6, and found an extra burst under Joel Rosario to get up by a half-length.