GOLDEN GLIMPSES #192

December 13, 1999

By ED GOLDEN

FOR LAFFIT PINCAY, THE SHOE�S RECORD IS AN IDEAL FIT

On a day that began with an orange-pink sunrise against a canvas of royal blue sky, Laffit Pincay Jr. rode into horse racing history.

Aboard a 3-year-old gray gelding named I Be Casual trained by Hall of Famer Jack Van Berg, Pincay won his 8,833rd race, tying his long-time friend and mentor, Bill Shoemaker, for career wins. The victory came at Hollywood Park on Dec. 9, 1999, in the fourth race, a $25,000, six-furlong claimer.

The scene in the jockeys� room before the momentous event was rapt in great anticipation.

A dozen of Pincay�s contemporaries, among them Corey Nakatani, gathered around Shoemaker. Their eyes were fixed on the large TV screen. When Pincay roused

I Be Casual outside of rivals A J Flyer and Bay Fox in deep stretch, cheers erupted. The room was awash in joy. Pincay rode I Be Casual to a head victory, which tied him with Shoe and put him one from the record he has painstakingly pursued for years.

He finally got it the next day. No 8,834 came on a 3-year-old colt named Irish Nip, trained by Richard Mandella, a staunch admirer and supporter of Pincay for a quarter of a century.

"His accomplishments on the race track will be in the record books, but what he�s accomplished as a person is much greater," said the 29-year-old Nakatani of Pincay, who will be 53 on Dec. 29. "He�s genuine, and the way he handled the media coverage and the attention during his pursuit of the record was unbelievable. He�s remarkable. There will never be another one like him."

The two riders share the same agent, Bob Meldahl, and, sadly, a tragic bond. Pincay�s first wife, Linda, committed suicide in 1985. Nakatani�s sister, Dawn, was murdered in 1996. They have put those horrors behind them and moved forward as best they can. The wounds have healed but the scars will never go away. Nakatani knows he can always count on Pincay.

"I review races with Laffit and I learn a lot from him," Nakatani said. "He�s not the kind of guy who will tell you anything unless you ask him, but if you do, he�ll give you the time. He wants to see everybody do well. That�s the difference between most riders and Laffit. He�ll do everything he can to win a race, but as much a competitor as he is, he is a graceful winner and a graceful a loser. I have so much respect for him, it�s hard to put into words. I just love the guy.

"He�s done a lot for me. I pattern my riding style after him. I�ve always had the will and desire to do things, but to be able to talk to Laffit and get advice from him has helped me try to do other things right besides riding. There isn�t a better rider in the world. Shoe is the Shoe and will always be the Shoe. He�s the greatest, but Laffit is definitely one of the greatest, too. They�ve ridden a lot of great horses, and you can learn a lot from their riding styles, not to mention the way they conduct themselves."

Shoemaker has been a quadriplegic since a one-vehicle accident in 1991. A person lacking Shoe�s emotional strength likely would not have accepted the hand he was dealt with such unflagging dignity. Despite being confined to a wheelchair, his unassuming manner disarms any discomfort felt by those who approach him.

"It�s sad for me to see Shoe like he is, and believe me, it hurts, especially when you look back at the records he set," Nakatani said in an expression of sensitivity and candor. "I can empathize with his feelings. I�m sure he�s happy for Laffit and for the desire Laffit showed in pursuing the record. Nobody�s going to dispute that Shoe is one of the greatest of all time. I told Shoe that when he�s long gone, there will be guys who will watch tapes of his races. They won�t be fortunate enough to talk with him or enjoy his camaraderie, but Shoe�s name will be etched in stone in horse racing, that�s for damn sure."

And now, Pincay�s will, too. Fittingly, there already are bronze busts of both Shoe and Pincay, posing with pride, side by side at Santa Anita.

THE HOMESTRETCH: Pincay deserves his sixth Eclipse Award this year, for Lifetime Achievement if nothing else. C�mon. Jerry Bailey can win it again next year . . . Shoemaker hopes Pincay rides at least until he reaches 9,000 victories . . . Shoe was glad the chase of his record ended. "I was getting tired of driving to the track every day," he laughed. "The traffic was terrible." Shoe lives in San Marino, a couple furlongs from Santa Anita . . . Jockey Joe Steiner had his hands full trying to keep Pincay�s precocious 6-year-old son, Jean Laffit, from diving into a Jacuzzi-sized cake Pincay received in the jockeys� room after win No. 8,834 . . . Word was that Vice President Al Gore telephoned to offer his congratulations, but Pincay never received the call . . . Pincay on when he will retire: "I�m pretty sure my body will let me know when it�s time." If Pincay wins the Hollywood riding title, it would be his first since 1991 and his 33rd in Southern California . . . Hollywood, Santa Anita, Del Mar and Fairplex presented Pincay with a new white Porsche Boxster convertible, valued at $50,000 . . . Mandella on what instructions he gave Pincay before giving him a leg up on Irish Nip: "Don�t mess it up, just like Charlie (Whittingham would have said)." . . . Despite only 5,855 on-track to witness Pincay�s record-breaking win, the Pincay Watch boosted the track�s handle and attendance. Through 22 days, on-track attendance was up 5.3 % from last year, while on-track handle increased 13.1 % . . . Bob Baffert, on who will take over for top assistant Eoin Harty, who is leaving Baffert at the end of January to train Godolphin�s 2-year-olds in Dubai on the road to the Kentucky Derby: "Nobody. He�s irreplaceable." Harty, 37, a major contributor to the barn�s rise to international prominence, said Baffert gave him "full support" on the move and that his decision was a "no-brainer." . . . John Toffan, co-owner of Spacelink, says the promising colt who is about to turn three is sidelined with shin problems. But Toffan and partner Trudy McCaffery have another dynamo in Six Below, who powerhoused his way past nine rivals by13 lengths in only his second start and his first at a distance. Look for the 4-year-old son of Seattle Sleet next in the San Pasqual Handicap on Jan. 16 . . . Santa Anita�s opening day Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26 is expected to draw Breeders� Cup Classic winner Cat Thief, the Baffert triumvirate of Prime Timber, Straight Man and National Saint, Cal-bred sprint ace Love That Red, Five Star Day, Cliquot and Desert Hero.

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