Fort Larned, a 9-1 longshot, won the race in frontrunning fashion, holding off a closing drive by Mucho Macho Man.
It is run under weight-for-age conditions, with entrants carrying the following weights:[1] Game On Dude was the favorite for the Classic after winning the Hollywood Gold Cup and Awesome Again.
Second in the 2011 Classic held at Churchill Downs, Game on Dude was expected to improve at Santa Anita, a track over which he was undefeated at the time.
The 12-horse field also included:[2] Game on Dude, who had been expected to set the pace, broke poorly and then experienced traffic problems that took him out of contention.
Fort Larned opened up a lead of nearly three lengths moving into the far turn, then Mucho Macho Man started to close ground.
[1][3] It was the first Breeders' Cup win for trainer Ian Wilkes, who had previously been an assistant to Hall of Famer Carl Nafzger.