Santa Anita Handicap

Santa Anita Handicap
Grade I race
Location Santa Anita Park
Arcadia, California, United States
Inaugurated 1935
Race type Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website Santa Anita Park
Race information
Distance 1¼ miles (10 furlongs)
Track Dirt, left-handed
Qualification Four-year-olds and up
Weight Handicap
Purse $1 million

The Santa Anita Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade I race for horses four years old and up , and is considered the most important race for older horses in North America during the winter racing season. The ten furlong Santa Anita Handicap offers a purse of one million dollars.

The first race was held in 1935, just months after the track opened in late 1934, and was for three-year-olds and up until 1969. The Santa Anita Handicap instantly became one of the nation's top races because it offered a minimum purse of $100,000, then a staggering amount for a horse race. In its early years, the race was most commonly referred to among horsemen and racing media as the "Hundred-Grander." Another nickname for the race dating back to that time, "The Big 'Cap," is still in regular use.

Probably the dominant figure in the early years of the race was Seabiscuit, as the race proved to be a metaphor for his career. In his first two attempts to win it in 1937 and 1938, he lost in photo finishes, with the second loss to a horse carrying 30 pounds less than he was. He suffered what was believed to be a career-ending injury while preparing for the 1939 edition. Amazingly, he came back to run in the Hundred-Grander in 1940, finally winning in what would be his last race.

Records

Speed record:

Most wins:

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

Winners of the Santa Anita Handicap

Year
 Winner
 Age
 Jockey
 Trainer
 Owner
 Time
2015 Shared Belief 4 Mike E. Smith Jerry Hollendorfer Jungle Racing 2:00.67
2014 Game On Dude 7 Mike E. Smith Bob Baffert Lanni Family Trust, Mercedes Stable LLC, & Schiappa 1:58.17
2013 Game On Dude 6 Mike E. Smith Bob Baffert Lanni Family Trust, Mercedes Stable LLC, & Schiappa 2:00.14
2012 Ron the Greek 5 Jose Lezcano William I. Mott Brous Stable/Wachtel Stable/Hammer 2:00.41
2011 Game On Dude 4 Chantal Sutherland Bob Baffert Lanni Family Trust, Mercedes Stable LLC, & Schiappa 1:59.47
2010 Misremembered 4 Martin Garcia Bob Baffert Jill Baffert & George Jacobs 2:00.20
2009 Einstein 7 Julien Leparoux Helen Pitts-Blasi Midnight Cry Stable 2.01.93
2008 Heatseeker 5 Rafael Bejarano Jerry Hollendorfer William de Burgh 2.00.42
2007 Lava Man 6 Corey Nakatani Doug O'Neill STD Racing/Jason Wood 2.02.11
2006 Lava Man 5 Corey Nakatani Doug O'Neill STD Racing/Jason Wood 2.00.57
2005 Rock Hard Ten 4 Gary Stevens Richard Mandella Mercedes Stables/M. Paulson 2.01.20
2004 Southern Image 4 Victor Espinoza Michael Machowsky Blahut Stables 2.01.64
2003 Milwaukee Brew 6 Edgar Prado Robert J. Frankel Stronach Stables 1.59.80
2002 Milwaukee Brew 5 Kent Desormeaux Robert J. Frankel Stronach Stables 2.01.02
2001 Tiznow 4 Chris McCarron Jay M. Robbins M. Cooper/C. Straub-Rubens 2.01.55
2000 General Challenge 4 Corey Nakatani Bob Baffert Golden Eagle Farm 2.01.49
1999 Free House 5 Chris McCarron J. Paco Gonzalez McCaffery & Toffan 2.00.67
1998 Malek 5 Alex Solis Richard Mandella Stud Panter 2.02.26
1997 Siphon 6 David Flores Richard Mandella Rio Claro Thoroughbreds 2.02.23
1996 Mr. Purple 4 Ed Delahoussaye Ron McAnally Alex G. Campbell, Jr. 2.02.04
1995 Urgent Request 5 Gary Stevens Rodney Rash Stewart Aitken 1.59.25
1994 Stuka † 4 Chris Antley Gary F. Jones Allen E. Paulson 2.00.17
1993 Sir Beaufort 6 Pat Valenzuela Charlie Whittingham Victoria Calantoni 2.00.40
1992 Best Pal 4 Kent Desormeaux Gary F. Jones Golden Eagle Farm 1.59.00
1991 Farma Way 4 Gary Stevens D. Wayne Lukas Quarter B Farm 2.00.30
1990 Ruhlmann 5 Gary Stevens Charlie Wittingham Ann & Jerry Moss 2.01.20
1989 Martial Law 4 Martin Pedroza Julio C. Canani Hughes, Messina Et Al 1.58.80
1988 Alysheba 4 Chris McCarron Jack Van Berg Dorothy & Pamela Scharbauer 1.59.80
1987 Broad Brush 4 Angel Cordero, Jr. Richard W. Small Robert E. Meyerhoff 2.00.60
1986 Greinton 5 Laffit Pincay, Jr. Charlie Whittingham Bradley/Whittingham/H. Wynne 2.00.00
1985 Lord at War (ARG) 5 Bill Shoemaker Charlie Whittingham Peter Perkins 2.00.60
1984 Interco 4 Pat Valenzuela Ted West David I. Sofro 2.00.60
1983 Bates Motel 4 Terry Lipham John H. M. Gosden J. Getty Phillips/M. Riordan 1.59.60
1982 John Henry † 7 Bill Shoemaker Ron McAnally Dotsam Stable 1.59.00
1981 John Henry 6 Laffit Pincay, Jr. Ron McAnally Dotsam Stable 1.59.40
1980 Spectacular Bid 4 Bill Shoemaker Bud Delp Hawksworth Farm 2.00.60
1979 Affirmed 4 Laffit Pincay, Jr. Laz Barrera Harbor View Farm 1.58.60
1978 Vigors 5 Darrel McHargue Larry J. Sterling William R. Hawn 2.01.20
1977 Crystal Water 4 Laffit Pincay, Jr. Roger Clapp Connie M. Ring 1.59.20
1976 Royal Glint 6 Jorge Tejeira Gordon R. Potter Dan Lasater 2.00.40
1975 Stardust Mel 4 Bill Shoemaker Charlie Whittingham Marjorie L. Everett 2.06.40
1974 Prince Dantan 4 Ron Turcotte Frank "Pancho" Martin Sigmund Sommer 2.03.60
1973 Cougar II 7 Laffit Pincay, Jr. Charlie Whittingham Mary F. Jones 2.00.00
1972 Triple Bend 4 Donald Pierce Vance Longden Frank M. McMahon 2.00.00
1971 Ack Ack 5 Bill Shoemaker Charlie Whittingham Forked Lightning Ranch 2.03.00
1970 Quicken Tree 7 Fernando Alvarez William T. Canney L. R. Rowan/W. Whitney 1.59.60
1969 Nodouble 4 Eddie Belmonte J. Bert Sonnier Verna Lea Farm 2.01.80
1968 Mr. Right 5 Moises Yanez Evan S. Jackson Cheray Duchin 2.04.60
1967 Pretense 4 Bill Shoemaker Charlie Whittingham Llangollen Farm 2.00.80
1966 Lucky Debonair 4 Bill Shoemaker Frank Catrone Ada L. Rice 2.00.20
1965 Hill Rise 4 Donald Pierce William B. Finnegan El Peco Ranch 2.00.60
1964 Mr. Consistency 6 Kenneth Church James I. Nazworthy Ann Peppers 2.01.00
1963 Crozier 5 Braulio Baeza Julius E. Tinsley, Jr. Fred W. Hooper 2.00.80
1962 Physician 5 Donald Pierce Lynn A. Boice Lynn A. Boice 2.02.60
1961 Prove It 4 Bill Shoemaker Mesh Tenney Rex C. Ellsworth 2.00.00
1960 Linmold 4 Donald Pierce Harold C. McBride Mr. & Mrs. L. I. Nelson 2.00.60
1959 Terrang 6 William Boland Carl A. Roles Poltex Stable & R. Bond 2.00.00
1958 Round Table 4 Bill Shoemaker William Molter Kerr Stable 1.59.80
1957 Corn Husker 4 Ralph Neves Charlie Whittingham Llangollen Farm 2.01.80
1956 Bobby Brocato 5 Johnny Longden William Molter Kerr Stables 2.04.60
1955 Poona II 4 Bill Shoemaker Red McDaniel Helbush Farm 2.03.00
1954 Rejected 4 Bill Shoemaker William J. Hirsch King Ranch 2.00.60
1953 Mark-Ye-Well 4 Eddie Arcaro Horace A. Jones Calumet Farm 2.01.20
1952 Miche † 7 John S. Covalli Don Cameron Muriel Vanderbilt Adams 2.01.00
1951 Moonrush 5 Johnny Longden Willie Alvarado Anita King & Gus Luellwitz 2.02.60
1950 Noor 5 Johnny Longden Burley Parke Charles S. Howard 2.00.00
1949 Vulcan's Forge 4 Dave Gorman Don Cameron Isaac J. Collins 2.02.80
1948 Talon 6 Eddie Arcaro Horatio Luro Richard N. Ryan 2.03.40
1947 Olhaverry 8 Melvin Peterson Anthony E. Silver Pan De Azucar Stable 2.01.80
1946 War Knight 6 John H. Adams Charlie Leavitt Ethel Hill 2.01.60
1945 Thumbs Up 6 Johnny Longden George M. Odom Louis B. Mayer 2.01.20
1941 Bay View 4 Nick Wall Patrick F. Dwyer Anthony Pelleteri 2.05.40
1940 Seabiscuit 7 Red Pollard Tom Smith Charles S. Howard 2.01.20
1939 Kayak II 4 John H. Adams Tom Smith Charles S. Howard 2.01.40
1938 Stagehand 3 Nick Wall Earl H. Sande Maxwell Howard 2.01.60
1937 Rosemont 5 Harry Richards Richard E. Handlen Foxcatcher Farms 2.02.80
1936 Top Row 5 Wayne D. Wright Albert A. Baroni Albert A. Baroni 2.04.20
1935 Azucar 7 George Woolf James Rushton Fred M. Alger, Jr. 2.02.20

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