DEL MAR : Longshots Don’t Discourage Pincay in Pursuit of No. 8,000

Laffit Pincay used to have some great months riding race horses, the only difference being that he could accomplish a month’s worth of winners in one afternoon. He rode seven winners on one card at Santa Anita in 1987 and six winners on five other occasions, twice here.

With the possible exception of John Wayne or Clint Eastwood, no man has made more money on horseback than Pincay. His mounts have won more than $170 million over a career closing in on 30 years.

Pincay, 46, is closing in on another milestone, this one accomplished by only one other rider in the history of thoroughbred racing. He is six short of his 8,000th victory. Bill Shoemaker, at 8,833, is the only jockey ahead of him.

However, the winning has not come easily through the first five weeks of the Del Mar meeting.

“I don’t get the best horses any more,” he said. “I’ve just got to work with what I have. The point is that I enjoy riding. I just do my best.”

Through the first 25 days of the Del Mar meeting, 52% of his mounts went off at odds of higher than 7-1. A mere 18% went off at odds of less than 3-1, making his ratio of longshots to favorites almost three to one.

Quantity as well as quality have been working against him. He has been averaging slightly more than four mounts a day, meaning, essentially, he is getting two horses a day with decent chances and two longshots with prayers.

On Thursday afternoon, he was relaxing in the jockey room because he had no mounts between the second and sixth races. His mounts in the second and sixth were 12-1 and 8-1, respectively, on the morning line and his mounts in the seventh and ninth were 2-1 and 5-2. It represented a rather typical day at the races for Pincay this summer. He was winless that afternoon.

He had a busier afternoon Friday, getting six mounts ranging from 2-1 to 20-1 in morning line odds. He was fourth in the second race, 10th in the fourth, fifth in the fifth, sixth in the sixth, seventh in the seventh and sixth in the eighth.

Despite the fact that the “live” mounts are going to the young lions of the jockey kingdom, Pincay is still a respectable seventh in victories and sixth in winning percentage.

Victories aren’t coming as easily, but Pincay doesn’t expect No. 8,000 to elude him.

“I don’t have any time limit,” he said. “I know I’m going to do it.”

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The weekend’s feature race, Sunday’s $200,000 Chula Vista Handicap for older fillies and mares, features Magical Maiden, top-weighted at 120 pounds for the 1 1/16-mile race.

Magical Maiden, to be ridden by Gary Stevens, scored a come-from-behind victory in the Fantastic Girl Handicap on July 30 after a lengthy layoff because of an injured shoulder.

Her stiffest competition will probably come from Re Toss, most recently fourth in the Ramona Handicap behind Flawlessly; and Party Cited, winner of the Bayakoa Handicap. Re Toss, with Eddie Delahoussaye, will carry 118 pounds and Party Cited, with Pincay, will carry 117 pounds.

Entrants also include Wedding Ring, second in the Bayakoa. Fowda, third in that race, won’t run in the Chula Vista because of a minor injury.

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Today’s Osunitas Handicap, a $75,000 turf race for older fillies and mares over 1 1/16 miles, is an open affair including Bel’s Starlet, Gravieres, Feminine Wiles and Miss Turkana.

La Sarcelle, Gravieres, Lyin To The Moon and Miss Turkana all won allowance races in their last outings.

Horse Racing Notes

Del Mar and satellite locations will feature wagering on the Beverly D today and the Arlington Million Sunday, both from Arlington. Flawlessly, the winner of the Ramona Handicap here, is the 6-5 morning-line favorite to win the Beverly D under Chris McCarron. Let’s Elope, with Pat Valenzuela, also shipped from Del Mar for the race. Two Southland horses, Leger Cat with Corey Nakatani and Johann Quatz with Kent Desormeaux, will challenge Southland-based Star Of Cozzene in the Million.

Music Merci, the winner of $1.4 million in 31 lifetimes starts but plagued by injuries of late, will run for a $50,000 claiming price in today’s sixth race. He won the 1993 Palos Verde Handicap at Santa Anita and the 1988 Del Mar Futurity.

The weights appear to be right for a Kotashaan-Bien Bien showdown in the Del Mar Handicap on Sept. 5. Kotashaan was assigned 123 pounds, one more than Bien Bien.