Laffit Pincay, Jr.

Horseracing personalities infobox
name = Laffit Pincay, Jr.


caption =
occupation = Jockey
birthplace = Panama City, Panama
birth date = December 29, 1946
death date =
career wins = 9,530
race = Santa Anita Derby
(1968, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1985)
Hollywood Gold Cup
(1970, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1985-1986, 2001-2002)
John C. Mabee Handicap (1979)
San Diego Handicap (1976, 1986, 1987, 1992)
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)
Belmont Stakes (1982, 1983, 1984)
Canadian International Stakes (1984)
Kentucky Derby (1984)
Washington, D.C. International (1987, 1990)
Breeders' Cup Classic (1986)
Breeders' Cup Distaff (1989, 1990)
Breeders' Cup Juvenile (1985, 1986, 1988)
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (1993)
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
horses = Affirmed, 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
updated = February 9, 2007

Laffit Alejandro Pincay, Jr. (born December 29, 1946 in Panama City, Panama) is a retired jockey who was based primarily in the United States.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Pincay, who was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1975, is currently married to his second wife, Jeanine, with whom he has a son, Jean Laffit Pincay. He married his first wife, Linda, in 1967, with who he had a daughter Lisa and a son Laffit III. Linda Pincay committed suicide in January 1985. [ [http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Loge/8074/bio.html Pincay Jr. biography by Richelle Votaw] ] Laffit Pincay III is a horse racing commentator for HRTV and ESPN, most recently as the winner's circle interviewer at the 2007 Breeder's Cup at Monmouth Park.

"Laffit - All About Winning" is a documentary film that takes a look at Laffit's career and life experiences as a jockey. The movie was narrated by actor Kevin Costner.

References

* [http://www.nndb.com/people/875/000024803/ Laffit Pincay at NNDB] (accessed April 2, 2006)
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0498362/ "Laffit: All About Winning" at IMDb]
* [http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/jockey.asp?ID=213 Laffit Pincay, Jr. at the United States' National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame]
* [http://www.ntra.com/content.aspx?type=news&id=11729 NTRA 2004 article - "Hollywood Park announces Laffit Pincay Jr. Award"]
* Del Mar Media Guide

Laffit Pincay, Jr. will appear at Philadelphia Park racetrack on Sunday, October 5, 2008!