Columnist Ralph Siraco: Pincay captures ninth Hollywood Gold Cup

Ralph Siraco

Monday, July 15, 2002 | 9:43 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday-Sunday.

When jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. finished second aboard Like A Hero in Sunday's Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park, he felt something like a hero just to be runner-up to winner Came Home.

Second to Came Home, after all, is a distinction seven others have experienced during the winner's 10-race career. The thought of joining Chris McCarron, who rode Came Home to victory in his previous race while ending an illustrious 28-year riding career, might have also crossed Pincay's mind for a moment.

Pincay was scheduled to ride Sky Jack in the Grade I Hollywood Gold Cup two races after the Grade II Swaps, so if the 55-years-young riding statesman wanted to have a momentary lapse, it was just part of the respect afforded the winningest rider in the history of the sport.

When Pincay walked into the paddock for the $750,000 Gold Cup, one would forgive the track's defending titleholder if his victory in last year's renewal wasn't on his mind. An eighth Gold Cup trophy -- won through the disqualification of Futural -- aboard Aptitude enabled him to tie the great Bill Shoemaker for the most Hollywood Gold Cup victories.

Pincay won his first Gold Cup, some four years before McCarron began his riding career, aboard Pleasure Seeker in 1970. Ancient Title in 1975, Crystal Water in 1977 and the great Affirmed in 1979 gave the Panamanian native four Gold Cups in the decade. Three more followed in the 1980s with Perrault in '82, Greinton in '85 and Super Diamond the following year.

Seeking his record ninth Gold Cup victory, Pincay would climb aboard Sky Jack, a 6-year-old California-bred who had never lost a race in four starts at the Inglewood oval. If not for the high-profile connections of Santa Anita Handicap and Californian winner Milwaukee Brew, Sky Jack would have certainly gone off as the favorite.

As it was, he was close. Sent off as the 9-to-5 second choice, Sky Jack would provide a vintage renewal of Hollywood Park's premiere race for the handicap division. And another testament that Pincay is not quite ready to join McCarron.

Sky Jack was expected to make the running in the 1 1/4-mile centerpiece. He did. And when the son of Jaklin Klugman (whose sire was named incorrectly by his famous TV star owner Jack Klugman) disposed of early pressure from longshot Macaneo, the real race began.

Turning for home, Sky Jack, who had the lead at every pole, was joined by Momentum as jockey Garrett Gomez engaged his mount in a stride-for-stride duel with the leader.

Pincay never hit the panic button. As the duo moved past the final sixteenth in the race, Gomez was driving and whipping right-handed while Pincay, down on the rail, drew the stick in his left hand and rhythmically encouraged his partner to give a little more.

Sky Jack complied -- by a nose, in 2:01:3 to return $5.80 to his backers. Momentum was well clear of third-place finisher Milwaukee Brew.

The gray gelding would keep his perfect Hollywood Park record intact and get Pincay his record win. Sky Jack did something even two-time Breeders' Cup Classic champion Tiznow didn't do, becoming only the fifth California-bred to win the Gold Cup in its 63-year history.

Sky Jack joined the other Golden State natives Swaps (1956), Native Diver (1965-66-67), Ancient Title (1975) and Best Pal (1993).

Trainer Doug O'Neill captured his first Gold Cup, as did Sky Jack's owners and breeders Rene and Margie Lambert of Temecula, Ca.

Pincay praised Sky Jack's performance afterward. "He won with courage," he said. And it seems Sky Jack has plenty of that. Though he won the eighth race of 14 lifetime starts, Sky Jack bravely fought back from a pair of knee and colic surgeries.

When Pincay was asked to compare this Gold Cup victory to the others, he reflected and said, "It's even more fun now."

And then the thought crossed his mind again.

"Pretty soon I'm going to have to give it up," he said. "But right now I'm having a good time."

With 9,388 victories and counting, so are his legions of fans.