Santa Anita conducted its inaugural card on Christmas Day, 1934. . . on February 4, 1938, a $2,000 claimer named Playmay won the first race on the card and returned $673.40 for a two-dollar win mutuel. . . at age five, Citation finished second in four consecutive stakes at Santa Anita. . . turf course, built in 1953, has a hillside leg that crosses the main track to connect with the infield oval. . . Affirmed commenced his 1978 Triple Crown campaign with three consecutive Santa Anita victories, including an eight-length score in the Santa Anita Derby. . . in winning the 1980 Charles H. Strub Stakes, Spectacular Bid set a world record for 1 1/4 miles on the dirt of 1:57 4/5. . . Hall of Fame jockey Bill Shoemaker won the Santa Anita Handicap 11 times; fellow Hall of Famer Laffit Pincay Jr. has scored five "Big Cap" victories. . . on March 14, 1987, Pincay won a record seven races on the Santa Anita card. . . San Gabriel Mountains provide a stunning backdrop for Santa Anitas races.