Run for the first time in 1935, the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap has held a distinguished place in the history of horse racing for almost eighty years. Among the names on the winning rolls are such legends as Seabiscuit, Ack Ack, Cougar II, Affirmed, Spectacular Bid, John Henry, and Alysheba. And while the 2012 version of the Big 'Cap might not contain a horse measuring up to the stature of some of the all-time greats, the 13-horse field looks to be a deep and contentious affair. The Santa Anita Handicap is the 11th and final race on Saturday's Santa Anita card. Post time is scheduled for 5:38pm Pacific and the race will be televised on HRTV.
The high-weight horse for this year's Big Cap is Ultimate Eagle at 120 pounds. Had Bob Baffert opted to enter Game On Dude in the race he would have carried 123 pounds. That's a far cry from the 130 that John Henry carried in 1982, which was the last time a horse won the Big Cap while carrying 130 pounds or more. Since 2001, no horse has carried more than 124 pounds.
Below are the entries and post positions for Saturday's Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | ML |
| 1 | Uh Oh Bango | M. Smith | R. Owens | 6/1 |
| 2 | Ultimate Eagle | M. Pedroza | M. Pender | 5/2 |
| 3 | Ron the Greek | J. Lezcano | W. Mott | 6/1 |
| 4 | Boxeur des Rues | M. Gutierrez | D. O'Neill | 50/1 |
| 5 | Thirtyfirststreet | E. Flores | D. O'Neill | 30/1 |
| 6 | Twice the Appeal | C. Santiago Reyes | J. Bonde | 30/1 |
| 7 | Fiddlers Afleet | K. Krigger | P. Eurton | 50/1 |
| 8 | Gladding | J. Rosario | J. Sadler | 12/1 |
| 9 | Setsuko | V. Espinoza | R. Mandella | 4/1 |
| 10 | Norvsky | J. Talamo | D. Warren | 6/1 |
| 11 | Prayer for Relief | M. Garcia | B. Baffert | 8/1 |
| 12 | Holladay Road | R. Bejarano | J. Canani | 8/1 |
| 13 | Victory Pete | C. Nakatani | A. Barba | 50/1 |
Saturday's Santa Anita card will also feature two other Grade 1 races: the Kilro Mile and the Las Virgenes. You can find the entries and post positions for both of those races below the jump.
| Las Virgenes | ||||
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | ML |
| 1 | Your Special Day | M. Smith | J. Cassidy | |
| 2 | Charm the Maker | J. Rosario | R. McAnally | |
| 3 | Willa B Awesome | M. Pedroza | W. Solis | |
| 4 | Killer Graces | J. Talamo | J. Hollendorfer | |
| 5 | Eden's Moon | M. Garcia | B. Baffert | |
| 6 | Made to Love Her | R. Bejarano | J. Kasparoff | |
| 7 | Reneesgotzip | C. Nakatani | P. Miller | |
| 8 | Open Water | V. Espinoza | E. Guillot | |
| Kilroe Mile | ||||
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | ML |
| 1 | Mr. Commons | M. Smith | J. Shirreffs | |
| 2 | Jimmy Simmy | C. Nakatani | S. Asmussen | |
| 3 | Willyconker (IRE) | J. Rosario | D. O'Neill | |
| 4 | Compari | R. Bejarano | M. Jones | |
| 5 | Jeranimo | M. Garcia | M. Pender | |
| 6 | Massone | A. Quinonez | T. Yakteen | |
| 7 | Make Music for Me | C. Sutherlan | A. Barba | |
| 8 | Mega Heat | J. Talamo | P. Eurton | |
Below is a flashback to the 1981 Santa Anita Handicap won by John Henry.