Columnist Ralph Siraco: Top riders jockey for meet titles

Ralph Siraco

Monday, July 16, 2001 | 10:50 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections appear Tuesday-Sunday. Reach him c/o Las Vegas Sun, 2275 Corporate Circle Drive, Suite 300, Henderson, NV 89074.

A change of scenery to racing's summer spas will take place starting Wednesday when Del Mar opens its 43-day meeting down "Where the Turf Meets the Surf" in San Diego County.

California race-goers get a one-week head start on their Eastern counterparts. Historic Saratoga will start its summer run at the upstate New York Springs on Wednesday, July 25. But before the equine set packs its bags for summer vacation, there are hotly contested races brewing for the jockey title at the current Belmont Park and Hollywood Park meets. Today is closing day for the spring/summer Hollywood Park season. Going into this final day of competition, the sport's living legend, Laffit Pincay, Jr., is tied with fellow Panamanian Alex Solis at the top of the jockey standings -- each man has 61 victories.

Both riders won a pair of races on the Sunday program at the Inglewood, Calif., racing emporium and they go into today's card loaded for bear.

Solis, who has won 19 titles -- a dozen coming at Southern California tracks -- has seven chances to break the stalemate. Pincay, who has garnered 40 riding titles in his illustrious career -- including two of the last three Southern California titles -- has accepted six mounts on the closing day program.

Solis left on a previously planned Hawaiian vacation with his family while leading the standings last month, and although the margin shrank, he was still at the top of the leaderboard after his one-week hiatus was complete.

Pincay, who is riding with renewed vigor after setting the sport's all-time win mark on Dec. 10, 1999, has won 347 races since breaking Bill Shoemaker's record of 8,833 victories. The 54-years-young icon shows no signs of slowing down or even thinking of the "R" word -- retirement. Pincay has a 15th Hollywood Park riding title within his sights.

While the California decision will be settled today, just as intense is the battle for the Belmont Park jockey title in New York. The Elmont, N.Y., session moves into the final five days of its spring/summer meeting with Edgar Prado and John Velazquez dueling for the Big Apple trophy.

Prado, who is trying for his first New York riding title, has a one-victory lead over Velazquez through Sunday. The final week of action will commence on Wednesday and by next weekend a new leader will emerge on the East's big league circuit.

Congaree returned to the racing wars and quickly turned the $500,000 Swaps Stakes into a public workout as he cruised to a solid victory in the 1 1/8-mile Grade I race.

The son of Arazi was last seen on the Triple Crown trail finishing third to stablemate Point Given in the May 19 Preakness Stakes in Baltimore. Congaree displayed his grit while finishing third -- beaten by the slimmest of noses -- in the Kentucky Derby.