Columnist Ralph Siraco: Crowd favorite Pincay to return for an encore

Ralph Siraco

Monday, Feb. 28, 2000 | 9:42 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday through Friday on the scoreboard page. Reach him c/o Las Vegas Sun, 800 S. Valley View Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89107.

The last time jockey Laffit Pincay, Jr. appeared in Las Vegas he was approaching horse racing's career wins record. That was last October at the Orleans hotel-casino, Pincay's final live appearance in Las Vegas before he broke Bill Shoemaker's standard of 8,833 victories.

The record became Pincay's on Dec. 10, 1999, when he rode Irish Nip to a gate-to-wire victory on the Hollywood Park lawn in the sixth race for lifetime victory No. 8,834.

At the time, the racing legend was just weeks away from his 53rd birthday, which he celebrated December 29. Pincay would go on to capture the riding title at the Hollywood Park fall session to boot. It was his 35th riding title at a major Southern California meeting, including 13 at Santa Anita, three at Oak Tree at Santa Anita, five at Del Mar and 14 at Hollywood Park.

Pincay, a five-time Eclipse Award winner and Hall of Famer, has continued his steady pace through a 36-year riding career that is still going strong. Pincay started the current Santa Anita meeting with 8,844 lifetime winners and currently sits fourth in the jockey standings with 34 victories through 47 days of the meeting. His most recent winner came in Sunday's sixth race aboard a $40,000 claimer named Salben, who he guided through a sea of Southern California mud at the Arcadia oval.

For a man who was the national earnings leader seven times and has won seven Breeders' Cups, three Belmont Stakes and a Kentucky Derby, Pincay still rides the claimers as if they are as important as any of his major stakes mounts. That is the true benchmark of his dedication and desire in a sport that is as demanding and more dangerous than most others.

Pincay now boasts 8,878 lifetime victories with no end in sight.

Local racing fans could not get enough of Pincay during his October appearance. After conducting a question-and-answer session with the crowd at the Orleans' Mardi Gras Ballroom, the Panama native stayed to sign autographs and pose for pictures until the very last fan was satisfied. The long line of souvenir-seekers snaked past the ageless athlete as fans reminisced about their special Pincay memory while securing a treasured signature.

Pincay was touched by the Las Vegas reception and promised to be back "any time Muggsy wants me." He was referring to Coast Resorts race book director Robert "Muggsy" Muniz.

Muggsy has requested Pincay's return for March 13. And to celebrate his return to Las Vegas, a benefit banquet will honor the world's winningest jockey in the same ballroom.

Again, Pincay's appearance will follow the richest horse race handicapping tournament in the world. And again, most of the world's best tournament bettors will stay over to visit with the famed jockey.

The banquet will again be an event for the horseplayers and fans of racing.

Muniz has decided that ticket sales to the general public for the dinner will be front-and-center seating. In addition, proceeds from the benefit event will be split between the Don McBeth Fund and the Shoemaker Foundation -- both nonprofit organizations that aid disabled riders and backstretch employees.

ESPN's "Racing Across America" host Chris Lincoln will serve as master of ceremonies, and the roster of racing celebrities scheduled to appear is a who's who of racing.

Hall of Fame riders Chris McCarron and Eddie Delahoussaye will join Corey Nakatani, Kent Desormeaux and other top Southern California riders for the occasion. Sandy Hawley heads the list of former riders honoring Pincay, and top trainers Bob Baffert and Richard Mandella will also be on hand.

Tickets for the event are good for a "goodie bag" of souvenirs, a cocktail reception and dinner, and cost $60 per person. Tickets are on sale now. For more information call the Orleans at 365-7111.

The day's activities begin early, when Northern California's leading trainer, Jerry Hollendorfer, and one of Southern California's best riders, Alex Solis, will conduct a question-and-answer seminar at 8 a.m. in the race book. The appearance is free to the public.

The Orleans National Handicapping Challenge will feature the best handicappers in the world going for the richest purse in the world. The tournament, which runs from March 9-11, features a total prize fund of up to $450,000. The winner will take home more than $100,000 in first-place prize money, with payoffs through 70th place.

In addition to the National Handicapping Challenge and the Pincay banquet, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's annual marketing summit will also convene at the Orleans during that week. Thoroughbred racing's national marketing and advertising arm will be searching for ways to better serve the racing industry's customers. They need not roam too far, but rather, just visit the race book at the host property for customer-service tips.

* SPEAKING OF FREEBIES: Two free handicapping contests are on tap this week in area race books. On Wednesday at the Gold Coast a free handicapping contest will be conducted over the last five races on the Santa Anita racing card for a $1,000 prize. The winner will be determined by a running total of pari-mutuel win payoffs in the five races.

On Thursday at Texas Station, a free handicapping contest will be held featuring the last three races on the Gulfstream Park program and the first three races of the Santa Anita program. The winner will be determined by win payoffs and the highest quinella payoff for a $1,000 prize.

* CARRYOVERS: Wednesday will offer two carryover opportunities on Santa Anita's racing card. At Arizona Charlie's race book, a double-seeded pot will be offered in the book's popular "Win-Quin" contest. The pot will start at $1,600. That contest combines win and quinella payoffs to determine the winners and pays three places.

The other carryover pot comes directly from the track at Santa Anita. Since there were no winning Pick 6 tickets sold on the Sunday racing program, a $132,987 Pick 6 carryover pool will be offered on the last six races of the Wednesday Santa Anita racing program. This offering is unlimited -- except for one's bankroll -- and can be played at any pari-mutuel race book in the state.