What is your favorite Santa Anita Handicap memory?

[DegenerationX]

My most shocking memory was Gentlemen going down in flames. I remember Don't Blame Rio passing him late in the stetch and the Bridge Jumpers plunging. Trevor saying "this is not the Gentlemen we know". It was to bad as the race was built as a dream match up between Silver Charm and Gentlemen.

[Igeteven]

Andy Beyer's take on it from 2003

http://www.drf.com/news/did-they-let-seabiscuit-win

bingo

[Vince P]

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 <img src="/images/chat/.jpg"> Stables 1.59.80
2002 Milwaukee Brew 5 Kent Desormeaux Robert J. Frankel <img src="/images/chat/.jpg"> 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 2.01.20
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 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 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

Are those numbers next to the horse's name?

Are you going to tell me that in over 117 years of the running of the Big Cap no number higher than #7 has won it?

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't Giacomo #10 when he won?

Vince P

[DegenerationX]

Those are the horses ages for crissakes.

[Kermit]

John Henry has a cross after his name. Is he the only horse listed that has died since? Was he really a Christian?
Stuka has one also.

[Reallyquiet]

Best S.A. Cap memory was Broad Brush,won of the most underrated horses of our time.And it is the ONLY SA memory I have,as it was the only time i was at the great race place.

[MaryS]

John Henry has a cross after his name. Is he the only horse listed that has died since? Was he really a Christian?
Stuka has one also.

Stakes record?

[Curtiswright]

John Henry has a cross after his name. Is he the only horse listed that has died since? Was he really a Christian?
Stuka has one also.

Although I suspect a bit of rhetorical impudence here, John Henry and Stuka were the only two Big 'Cap winners to win via DQ as Perrault and The Wicked North were the two horses that finished first before being taken down. Stuka--as Aptitude a few years ago in the Hollywood Gold Cup--wasn't even the horse that was reputedly fouled but benefitted nonetheless.

[Kermit]

John Henry has a cross after his name. Is he the only horse listed that has died since? Was he really a Christian?
Stuka has one also.

Although I suspect a bit of rhetorical impudence here, John Henry and Stuka were the only two Big 'Cap winners to win via DQ as Perrault and The Wicked North were the two horses that finished first before being taken down. Stuka--as Aptitude a few years ago in the Hollywood Gold Cup--wasn't even the horse that was reputedly fouled but benefitted nonetheless.

Impudence? OUCH!
Thanks, that is most probably the reason for the mark.

[Vince P]

Those are the horses ages for crissakes.

Nope.

I saved programs for every Big Cap since 1937 and those are the exact corresponding numbers to the corresponding saddle cloths that the corresponding horses wore for that race.

So if that’s also their ages, then this is l!terally the biggest coincidence in history.

Vince P