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'Best in the world' Pincay Jr. wins No. 8,833, ties Shoemaker's career mark
Posted: Friday December 10, 1999 12:25 AM
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) -- The bell sounded and the gate clanged open as all eyes focused on the green and gold silks of Laffit Pincay Jr. aboard I Be Casual. Suspense built as the gray horse settled between rivals, then swung three-wide into the stretch. Pincay urged I Be Casual into contention with a consistent left-handed whip. A roar erupted from the stands as I Be Casual stuck a head in front of A J Flyer at the wire, allowing Pincay to tie Bill Shoemaker's 29-year-old record of 8,833 career victories Thursday at Hollywood Park. "Everybody was rooting for him very hard for him to get there," said Shoemaker, who watched from the jockey's room. "They were making all kinds of noise in there." Announcer Michael Wrona called I Be Casual the winner even as the "photo" sign appeared on the toteboard. From their angle, Pincay's family wasn't sure he had won. Pincay had no doubts, raising the whip in his left hand in the air as the gray horse galloped out. "I need one more winner and my dream will come true," Pincay said after he finished the day 1 for 5. Pincay has five scheduled mounts Friday. "The only thing I want him to do is go at least 9,000 before he quits," Shoemaker said. Moments later, I Be Casual's number was posted next to the "1" on the board. The winner paid $4.40, $3 and $2.20 as the 6-5 wagering favorite. "Best in the world," Pincay told an outrider on the backstretch. "I feel great. This is something I've been looking forward to for a long time." Fittingly, Pincay got a leg up in the paddock from fellow Hall of Famer, trainer Jack Van Berg, for his tying ride. "They don't make 'em like Laffit," said Van Berg, the first trainer to reach 5,000 wins. "He's got more class. He's a great rider." I Be Casual won for the first time in 12 career races. Chris McCarron, another Hall of Famer who is among the top 10 winningest jockeys, hoisted Pincay on his shoulders for a ride to the scale. Other smiling and laughing riders joined in, only putting Pincay down long enough for him to weigh in. They threw a blanket of yellow flowers over his shoulders for the walk to the winner's circle, where Pincay's family and friends awaited. Someone pressed a flag from Pincay's native Panama in his hand. Shoemaker, 68, has owned the record since 1970. He's been confined to a wheelchair since a 1991 car accident. A bouquet of long-stemmed red roses rested in his lap during the extended winner's ceremony. "I want to congratulate Laffit," Shoemaker said. "He's gotten to the top of the mountain, but he needs one more to be there alone. I'm rooting for him. Go get 'em, Laffit." Pincay put his right arm around Shoemaker's shoulders. "I just tied the record of the greatest rider who ever lived," Pincay told a cheering crowd in the grandstand. Shouts of "Shoe" and "Pinky" rang out. Prior to Shoemaker, the record belonged to Johnny Longden, who took it from Englishman Gordon Richards in 1956. Almost 90, Longden has been following Pincay's pursuit from his California home. There was a bit of unscheduled excitement when Pincay picked up a mount in the second race after Emile Ramsammy called in sick. That sent fans scrambling to the wagering windows, where they made De Witt the 3-5 favorite. Pincay could've tied the record with a win, and his family wouldn't have seen it since they had yet to arrive at the track. Trainer Bob Baffert decided to use Pincay on De Witt, who finished second by three-quarters of a length. "I still feel bad for letting Laffit get beat on that 3-5 shot," said Baffert, who stuck around to see the tying ride. "I was excited watching him come down the lane. That's what racing is all about, especially when history is being made." Each time Pincay went to post, his fellow riders gathered around the TV set in the jockey's room, loudly rooting him to victory in an indication of the respect and esteem he's held in. A crush of camera crews and reporters descended on Hollywood Park as Pincay closed within a few of the record. The cameras followed him on his walk from the jockey's room to the paddock, then from the scale back to the jockey's room - attention that the intensely private Pincay doesn't relish. Pincay has battled weight throughout his 35-year career. He's able to ride at 117 pounds only by adhering to a strict 850-calorie daily diet that includes popping 20 different vitamins and supplements. Pincay's 35-year career includes election to racing's Hall of Fame, a record five Eclipse Awards as the nation's top jockey, a Kentucky Derby victory, three Belmont Stakes wins, and mounts on such great horses as Affirmed.
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