| Laffit Pincay, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Jockey |
| Born | December 29, 1946 Panama City, Panama |
| Career wins | 9,530 |
| Major racing wins, honours and awards | |
| Major racing wins | |
| San Bernardino Handicap (1967, 1968, 1971, 1974, 1979, 1985, 1989) Santa Anita Derby (1968, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1985) Los Angeles Handicap (1968, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1989, 1997) Santa Barbara Handicap (1968, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1993) Hollywood Gold Cup (1970, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1985-1986, 2001-2002) John C. Mabee Handicap (1979) San Diego Handicap (1976, 1986, 1987, 1992) Rancho Bernardo Handicap (1976, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2000) Sorrento Stakes (1976, 1980, 1987, 1989, 1993, 2000) Eddie Read Handicap (1978, 1984, 1987, 1991) Bing Crosby Handicap (1976, 1977, 1983) Clement L. Hirsch Handicap (1990, 1992) Del Mar Oaks (1983) Del Mar Handicap (1995, 2001) Del Mar Derby (1979, 1980, 1982, 1990, 1994) Del Mar Debutante Stakes (1976, 1982, 1983, 1984) Del Mar Futurity (1976, 1983, 1985, 1987) Whitney Handicap (1974) Florida Derby (1974, 1984) Blue Grass Stakes (1974, 2001) Woodward Stakes (1979) Jockey Club Gold Cup (1979, 1987) Kentucky Oaks (1981) Canadian International Stakes(1984) Princess Stakes (1986) Longacres Mile (1984, 1986) Washington, D.C. International (1987, 1990) American Classics / Breeders' Cup wins: Belmont Stakes (1982, 1983, 1984) Kentucky Derby (1984) Breeders' Cup Juvenile (1985, 1986, 1988) Breeders' Cup Classic (1986) Breeders' Cup Distaff (1989, 1990) Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (1993) |
|
| Racing awards | |
| United States Champion Jockey by earnings (1970-1974, 1979, 1985) United States Champion Jockey by wins (1971) George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award (1970) Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey (1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1985) Eclipse Special Award (1999) Big Sport of Turfdom Award (2000) |
|
| Honours | |
| National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame (1975) Lifesize bust at Santa Anita Park Hollywood Park annual Laffit Pincay Jr. Award Pincay Drive (formerly 90th Street) at Prairie Avenue, Inglewood, California (renamed Dec. 2003) |
|
| Significant horses | |
| Affirmed, Sham, Is It True, John Henry, Gamely, Desert Vixen, Susan's Girl, Genuine Risk, Bayakoa, Phone Chatter, Caveat, Conquistador Cielo, Perrault, It's in the Air, Swale, Chinook Pass, Cougar II, Autobiography, Capote, Skywalker, Landaluce | |
Laffit Alejandro Pincay, Jr. (born December 29, 1946 in Panama City, Panama) is a flat racing's all-time winningest jockey. He competed primarily in the United States.
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Laffit Pincay began his riding career in his native Panama. In 1966 prominent horseman Fred W. Hooper and agent Camilo Marin sponsored him to come to the United States and ride under contract. He started his American career at Arlington Park in Chicago and won eight of his first eleven races. During his career, Pincay Jr. was voted the prestigious George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 1970 that honors a rider whose career and personal conduct exemplifies the very best example of participants in the sport of thoroughbred racing. In 1996 he was voted the Mike Venezia Memorial Award for "extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship". He has won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey on four occasions and was the United States' leading jockey seven times.
In 1973, Pincay rode a very talented colt named Sham, and together they won that years Santa Anita Derby, and placed second in the Wood Memorial behind Angle Light, but ahead of his main rival, Secretariat. Sham was considered the best horse in the west, and they were second choice in the Kentucky Derby, once again behind Secretariat. At the top of the stretch they were in front, only to be swept aside by the super horse Secretariat, and finished second, just 2/5 of a second behind. However, many believe that while Secretariat finished under two minutes, Sham was so close behind that he did as well. In the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Sham was in a good position until Secretariat went around at the first turn. Pincay had him in striking distance in the stretch, but Sham couldn't give anything more and fell beck by two lengths on the wire. In the Belmont Pincay was instructed to keep Sham close to Secretariat to the word "Go". They traveled down the backstretch together, but Sham tired after a good fight, and eventually fell back to last out of the five horse field.
Pincay married his first wife, Linda, in 1967, with whom he had a daughter Lisa and a son Laffit III. Lisa is the mother to his two grandchildren, Madelyn and Mason.[1] Linda Pincay committed suicide in January 1985.[2] He has a son, Jean Laffit Pincay, with his second wife, Jeanine.[3] Laffit Pincay III is a horse-racing commentator for HRTV and Versus. In October 2007, he was loaned to ESPN to serve as the winner's circle interviewer at the 2007 Breeder's Cup at Monmouth Park. He currently resides in Arcadia, CA.
In 2004, Hollywood Park Racetrack announced the creation of the Laffit Pincay Jr. Award to be presented annually on Hollywood Gold Cup Day that features the race he won a record nine times. The award was designed by American sculptor Nina Kaiser and is presented to someone who has served the horse racing industry with integrity, dedication, determination and distinction.
At the time of his retirement (in April 2003), he remained horse racing's winningest jockey, with 9,530 career victories. On December 1, 2006, Russell Baze passed Pincay on the all-time win list.
With his 8,834th win, on December 10, 1999 at Hollywood Park Racetrack in California aboard Irish Nip, he broke the career victory record previously held by Bill Shoemaker.
He won the Kentucky Derby in 1984 aboard Swale (horse) and also took three consecutive Belmont Stakes between 1982 and 1984.
Pincay was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1975.