Laffit A. Pincay, Jr. is a legendary jockey renowned for breaking thoroughbred racing records and being a strong finisher. He was once known as flat racing’s winningest jockey of all time with 9,530 career wins, and he still holds third place in most wins despite retiring two decades ago. Pincay surpassed the previous recordholder, Bill Shoemaker, on December 10th, 1999, with his 8,834th win at Hollywood Park aboard Irish Nip.
As a child, Pincay dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player, but his small stature meant that he would never go pro. His father was a jockey as well, and Pincay learned to ride by visiting the racetracks in Panama and Venezuela and watching his father compete. He began his riding career in his native Panama before drawing the attention of top horseman Fred W. Hooper and agent Camilo Marin, who sponsored him to come to the United States to ride under contract in 1966.
Pincay’s American career started with a bang at Arlington Park in Chicago where he won eight of his first 11 races. He primarily competed in the United States for 39 seasons, including 27 summers at Del Mar, and he became the first jockey to hit 9,000 career wins in the California Cup Distaff at Santa Anita on Chichim for trainer Juan Garcia. His illustrious career includes winning three consecutive Belmont Stakes races and one Kentucky Derby (aboard Swale in 1984), along with five Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Jockey. He was also the United States Champion Jockey by earnings for 7 years.
Pincay retired in April 2003 and remained horse racing’s winningest jockey until Russell Blaze passed Pincay on the all-time win list with over 12,208 wins on December 1, 2006.
Demographic Profile
- Born: December 29, 1946
- Place of Birth: Panama City, Panama
- Residence: Arcadia, California
- Nationality: Panamanian; American
- Height: 1.55 m(5 ft 1in)
- Weight: 117 lbs. (53 kg)
Racing Career
Mounts | 48,486 |
Earnings | $237,120,625 |
Wins | 9, 530 |
Debuted | 1996 |
Retired | April 2003 |
First Win | 5/16/64 on Huelen in Panama |
First US Win | 7/1/66 on Teacher's Art at Arlington Park |
Major Races
- 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)
- Blue Grass Stakes (1974, 2001)
- Florida Derby (1974, 1984)
- Hawthorne Handicap (1974, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990)
- Whitney Handicap (1974)
- Bing Crosby Handicap (1976, 1977, 1983)
- Del Mar Debutante Stakes (1976, 1982, 1983, 1984)
- Del Mar Futurity (1976, 1983, 1985, 1987)
- Rancho Bernardo Handicap (1976, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2000)
- San Diego Handicap (1976, 1986, 1987, 1992)
- Sorrento Stakes (1976, 1980, 1987, 1989, 1993, 2000)
- Eddie Read Handicap (1978, 1984, 1987, 1991)
- Del Mar Derby (1979, 1980, 1982, 1990, 1994)
- Jockey Club Gold Cup (1979, 1987)
- John C. Mabee Handicap (1979)
- Woodward Stakes (1979)
- Kentucky Oaks (1981)
- Del Mar Oaks (1983)
- Canadian International Stakes (1984)
- Longacres Mile (1984, 1986)
- Princess Stakes (1986)
- Washington, D.C. International (1987, 1990)
- Clement L. Hirsch Handicap (1990, 1992)
- Del Mar Handicap (1995, 2001)
- U.S. Triple Crown wins:
- Belmont Stakes (1982, 1983, 1984)
- Kentucky Derby (1984)
- Breeders’ Cup wins:
- Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (1985, 1986, 1988)
- Breeders’ Cup Classic (1986)
- Breeders’ Cup Distaff (1989, 1990)
- Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (1993)
Historical Achievements, Honors Received, Recognitions
1970
- George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award
- United States Champion Jockey by earnings
1971
- Eclipse Award as the Leading Jockey
- United States Champion Jockey by earnings
- United States Champion Jockey by number of wins
1972
- United States Champion Jockey by earnings
1973
- Eclipse Award as the Leading Jockey
- United States Champion Jockey by earnings
1974
- Eclipse Award as the Leading Jockey
- United States Champion Jockey by earnings
1975
- National Museum of Racing
- Hall of Fame inductee, at the age of 28, becoming the youngest rider to be honored.
1979
- Eclipse Award as the Leading Jockey
- United States Champion Jockey by earnings
1985
- Eclipse Award as the Leading Jockey
- Won the 1985 “Big Sport of Turfdom Award” given by the Turf Publicists of America
- United States Champion Jockey by earnings
1996
- Mike Venezia Memorial Award for “extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship”.
1999
- Eclipse Special Award, the year he surpassed Willy Shoemaker as the winningest jockey.
2000-2002
- Between 2000 and 2002, Pincay was among the top 15 top-earning jockeys in the United States. He placed 12th in 2001 and at number 13 in 2000 and 2002.
2004
- Laffit Pincay Jr. Award
- It honored Laffit and was designed by American sculptor Nina Kaiser.
- It is presented to someone who has served the horse racing industry with integrity, dedication, determination, and distinction.
- It was presented annually on Hollywood Gold Cup Day, featuring the race he won nine times.
- When Hollywood Park closed, the award was moved to Del Mar Racetrack in 2014.
Characteristics
Pincay was able to become such a great rider due to his muscular physique and incredible discipline. Some jockeys are known for their finesse, but Pincay was known for his sheer power – there were many races where even though his horse seemed tired, he was able to help it push through and win with an amazing final burst of speed. A perfect example of this was when he won the 1985 Jersey Derby aboard Spend a Buck. Although he took an early lead, Pincay’s horse began to tire when they were almost at the wire and it looked like the win was going to slip away from him, but Pincay was determined to not let that happen and he carried the horse for the last quarter of the race to victory.
Pincay’s physical strength and strength of will earned him such nicknames as Atlas and Hercules from his fellow jockeys, with some describing him as “spartan.” He showed excellent self-discipline and determination from the beginning of his career, and he never failed to stick to his incredibly low-calorie diet (just 650 calories per day) and other healthy routines throughout his career. His love of horse riding and the camaraderie of his fellow jockeys made him keep racing for longer than many other jockeys.
Statues
In honor of his seven wins in the Santa Anita Derby, the track commissioned a life-sized bust of Pincay, which is on permanent public display at Santa Anita.
Personal Life
Pincay married his first wife, Linda, in 1967 and had a daughter and a son, Lisa and Laffit III. Lisa is the mother to two of his grandchildren, Madelyn and Mason. His wife was loving and supportive but sadly committed suicide in January 1985. In 1992, he married Jeanine as his second wife. She birthed Jean Laffit Pincay. Laffit Pincay III is a horse racing commentator for HRTV and NBC who greatly admires his father. In October 2007, he was loaned to ESPN as the winner’s circle interviewer at the 2007 Breeders’ Cup at Monmouth Park. He currently resides in Arcadia, California.
Dark Days – Personal Tragedy
Six months before Pincay’s win at the 1984 Kentucky Derby, his first wife Linda was diagnosed with a ruptured appendix and gangrene. The mix of emotional pain and depression prompted her to attempt suicide twice. On January 18, 1985, when Pincay was at Santa Anita prepping for the next race, he received a phone call and rushed home to find Linda dead. His 15-year-old daughter Lisa was in the house when her mother shot herself.
His career began to decline during the 1990s. In 1990 he won only 150 races for a full year of riding. In 1997, he won only 75 races and picked up $2.5 million in earnings, his lowest total since 1969.
Injuries
He suffered 11 broken collarbones and 10 broken ribs over the course of his career. He also endured two spinal fractures, two punctured lungs, two broken thumbs, and a sprained ankle. His last injury in horse racing that forced him to retire was a broken neck. The doctors advised Pincay that his spine was not sufficiently stable to allow him to ride as the 2 cervical bones in his neck and one of the uppermost seven vertebrae of the spine were broken.
Notable Horses Mounted
Affirmed, Althea, Bayakoa, Capote, Conquistado Cielo, Cougar II, Creme Fraiche, Diazo, Family Style, Forty Niner, Gate Dancer, Is It True, John Henry, Landaluce, Phone Chatter, Relaunch, Sham, Skywalker, Spend A Buck, Steinlen, Sunny’s Halo, Swale, Tight Spot , Tri Jet