DEL MAR : Pincay Misses No. 8,000 by Head in Ninth

After winning two races earlier at Del Mar on Sunday, Laffit Pincay came within a head of winning the ninth race and scoring his 8,000th victory.

Pincay, whose Party Cited finished third in the eighth race, the $200,000 Chula Vista Handicap, was second on Mysterious Moon in the ninth.

Pincay had won No. 7,999 in the seventh race aboard El Toreo after winning the fifth race aboard Diazo.

Party Cited rallied to finish a close third.

“I thought I had it . . . for a while,” Pincay said. “She was coming, but then she started to tire. She started to lug a little bit and didn’t quite get there.”

Magical Maiden who earlier won the Fantastic Girl Stakes at Del Mar, held off another late charger, Vieille Vigne, for the victory in the Chula Vista.

In the ninth race, Pincay had gotten Mysterious Moon in front of the early leaders and looked like a winner until Eddie Delahoussaye got Beach Lights past him at the wire.

“I didn’t even see him until the last couple of jumps,” Pincay said. “Eddie told me he wanted this to last another day.”

Pincay’s 7,998th victory came in The Relaunch, a $50,000 stakes over one mile for 3-year-olds. Diazo, who paid $5.60 to win, is trained by Bill Shoemaker, the only jockey to win 8,000 races.

El Toreo won a claiming race over 6 1/2 furlongs. He took the lead out of the gate and pulled away when challenged at the top of the stretch. He paid $8.40.

Pincay is scheduled for five mounts today, none of them morning line favorites. Wychnor, in the fifth race, is 7-2 on the morning line, and Darwolf in the seventh is 4-1. The other three are 10-1 to 15-1.

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Star Of Cozzene rallied wide at the top of the stretch to win the rainy Arlington Million Sunday. He has won five of nine races this year and never finished worse than second.

Trailing Evanescent and Johann Quatz rounding the final turn of the 1 1/4-mile race, Star Of Cozzene surged under Jose Santos and won by 3 1/4 lengths. Evanescent and Johann Quatz finished second and third, respectively.

Lure, the only entrant to defeat Star Of Cozzene this year, was scratched because of the softness of the track.

Santos kept Star Of Cozzene near the front as longshot Little Bro Lantis and Leger Cat were setting the early pace. Aaron Gryder moved Evanescent on the far turn and Kent Desormeaux followed on Johann Quatz.

“They were looking very tough at the quarter pole,” Santos said. “When they started bumping each other, I eased him out and he took off. He demonstrated today that he’s the best grass horse in the country.”

Said Desormeaux: “(Star of Cozzene) got trapped and I went by him with tons of horse. And he had to wait for us to clear him to get out. He still came and got us. He’s something else.”

Star Of Cozzene earned $600,000 for his 13th career victory in 31 starts, increasing his earnings to $1.8 million.

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Dehere completed a profitable weekend for Del Mar-based Chris McCarron with a 2 1/2-length victory in the $200,000 Hopeful for 2-year-olds at Saratoga. McCarron rode Flawlessly to a victory by disqualification in the $500,000 Beverly D at Arlington on Saturday.

Unbeaten in four starts, Dehere ran with Whitney Tower through the early stages of the 6 1/2-furlong Hopeful before pulling away in the stretch. Slew Gin Fizz finished second and Whitney Tower third.

Dehere’s time, 1:15 4/5, was the fourth fastest in the 89-year history of the race, trailing Affirmed (1:15 2/5 in 1977), Bold Lad (1:15 3/5 in 1964) and Great Navigator (1:15 3/5 last year).

“You just chirp to him and it’s literally like stepping on a gas pedal,” McCarron said. “He’s got class. He’s a very exciting horse.”

How exciting?

“I try to be conservative,” McCarron said, “because I don’t want my bubble to burst, but he’s real good.”

Dehere became the first horse since Campfire in 1916 to sweep the Saratoga Special, Sanford and Hopeful, Saratoga’s three major stakes for 2-year-olds.

Horse Racing Notes

Super Half, a speedy 2-year-old from Golden Eagle Farms, had to be destroyed after he suffered a broken left rear ankle near the end of the third race. He was running well and leading before jockey Gary Stevens eased him late in the stretch. He still finished third.