Laffit Pincay Thriving as All-Time Hall of Famer

Laffit Pincay Jr. has been in the Thoroughbred racing Hall of Fame longer than anyone alive. By 1975, the year he was inducted, Pincay had led the nation in money won by his mounts for five straight years. That summer, the native of Panama became one of the youngest jockeys ever elected to the Hall of Fame. He was also a no-show. "I had a broken collarbone at the time," Pincay said this week from his home near Santa Anita Park. "But that was just an excuse. The real reason was that I knew I would have to get up and speak in front of a lot of people, and that's something I was scared to do back then. I was not real confident in my English. Later on, it was something I appreciated so much more. I always have regretted not being there." That is understandable. Pincay won six Eclipse Awards during his career, and by the time he was honored with a special trophy for surpassing Bill Shoemaker's all-time win total in 1999 his public speaking was comfortable and refreshingly direct. Still, the Hall of Fame happens only once to a jockey, if at all. To accept the plaque, Pincay called upon his former agent, Saratoga Springs native Vince DeGregory, to do the honors. "I wish he'd been there," said DeGregory, still repping riders at the age of 88. "I'd played some pro ball, and the thought of making the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown was a dream every kid had. Allen Jerkens was inducted that year. Jack Price and his wife were there for Carry Back, and Patrice Jacobs for Stymie." No question, it was a fabulous class, one that has grown more impressive with age. Both Pincay, 28 at the time, and Jerkens, who was only 46, made their youthful selections look good for years to come. The late trainer G. Carey Winfrey and the mares Shuvee and Ruthless filled out the rest of the '75 class. By the time this scribble hits the net, the Hall of Fame Classes of 2020 and 2021 will have been safely inducted in Aug. 6 ceremonies at the Fasig-Tipton pavilion, around the corner from the National Museum of Racing. The only jockey enshrined was Darrel McHargue, who retired in 1988 to pursue a career as a racing official. (McHargue was elected by the Hall of Fame's Historic Review Committee, of which this writer is a member.) "He deserves it," Pincay said. "He was a great rider, one of the best I ever rode against. He was tough and very talented." They tangled often at the top of the game, from their base in Southern California, most memorably in the 1979 Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) when McHargue and Sirlad gave Pincay and Affirmed all they could handle through every step of the mile and one-quarter. At the end, Sirlad was beaten by the most begrudging three-quarters of a length you'll ever see. Pincay went on that season to set an all-time earnings record of $8.1 million. The previous record of $6.1 million was set by McHargue in 1978. That's not a long time to enjoy an historic accomplishment, but records are made to be broken—and in those days usually by Laffit Pincay. As of his last ride in March of 2003, just a couple of months after his 57th birthday, Pincay had 9,530 wins—since surpassed only by Russell Baze—and mount earnings of $237 million, fourth best at the time behind Pat Day, Jerry Bailey, and Chris McCarron. Today, going on 18 years since he was forced to quit after fracturing a cervical vertebra, Pincay cuts a dashing figure of the celebrity athlete in retirement, enjoying his family, his girlfriend, his travels, and his golf. Pincay's obsessive monitoring of caloric intake during the last part of his 39 years in the saddle has given way to a bemused routine of eating whatever he wants, which is still not a lot. "When I retired, I still didn't want to eat much," Pincay said. "Now I eat a little more. Dinner is usually around 300 calories, but sometimes I'll have a beer or a piece of bread and eat 500 or 600 calories. Mostly I go by what I see, and I'll know how much I can eat and still be comfortable. If a piece of meat is too big, I'll cut it in half, and that will be enough. "I feel pretty good, for my age," he said. "What keeps me in good shape is working out. I work out every morning, around 8:30, with my own routine. I learned years ago what works for me, and now I can put on more muscles without worrying it will make me too heavy." And how much does he weigh? "Right now, 127, 128," Pincay replied. He turns 75 on Dec. 29. A few months ago, during a brief respite in pandemic concerns, Pincay traveled to Central America for swings through Panama and El Salvador. While in Panama he visited the Laffit Pincay Technical Jockey Training Academy in Panama City. He also bought a condo. Who says you can't go home again? "The school is doing good," he said. "I talked to the kids about riding, and about taking care of themselves. They're doing a great job. The kids who come from there now are ready—ready to win." One of them, as recent history proves, is Luis Saez, currently third in the national standings and the regular rider of leading 3-year-old Essential Quality. "I'm looking forward to spending more time down there," Pincay said. "The food is great. And the coffee, oh my god, they got the best coffee in the world. "I still like to go to the races," he added. "It bothered me at first, not riding, but time passed. I got healthy, and I got to the age when I probably would have quit anyway. Now I like to look back, because I like what I'm doing now."