Pincay Mounting Challenge With Three More Victories

Many more days like Monday and Laffit Pincay Jr. will reach 9,000 career victories before this meet ends Sept. 13.

Pincay, 53, who won his 90th stakes race at this track with favored Cover Gal in the Fleet Treat on Sunday won three races Monday with only four mounts.

Victories on favorites Wild And Erotic in the first and Revillew Slew in the third and 9-2 shot Augmenter in the fourth left Pincay, who became the world’s winningest rider last December, with 8,956 wins. He has seven wins through the first six days of this 43-day season, leaving him one behind leader and Hollywood Park champion Victor Espinoza. Kent Desormeaux is next with six wins.

Pincay’s only miss Monday came when Toastie’s Crown finished last as the 7-2 second choice in the fifth race.

While hitting 9,000 is a longshot in the next six weeks, there is a chance Pincay could surpass Bill Shoemaker for second on Del Mar’s all-time list of stakes wins. Shoemaker had 93 when he retired. Chris McCarron is the leader with 126.

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A full field, a rarity in a stakes race in California these days, is a distinct possibility for Saturday’s $150,000 San Clemente Handicap.

A prep for the Del Mar Oaks later in the month, the San Clemente has 11 3-year-old fillies being considered, but only 10 will be able to start going a flat mile on the turf course.

Among the probable starters are Automated, who will stretch out after winning two consecutive sprints on the Hollywood Park turf course, Brianda, Capital Request, who would be shipping in from Florida, Eurolink Raindance, Islay Mist, Mauricinne, Tindari Maria, Torgau, Classic Olympio, Mary Kies, Uncharted Haven and Hastenby.

On Sunday, only a half-dozen are being pointed for the $250,000 San Diego Handicap, which serves as the major prep for the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 26.

Trainer Bob Baffert, who won the Pacific Classic last year with General Challenge, will try to win the San Diego for the first time with veteran River Keen.

Victorious in the Woodward and Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park last year at age 7, River Keen should move forward off his comeback race, a third in the Bel Air Handicap on July 15 at Hollywood Park.

River Keen, who was second behind Mazel Trick in this race last year, worked six furlongs in 1:11 1/5 Monday morning for owner Hugo Reynolds.

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Trainer Bobby Frankel, who didn’t have a starter at Del Mar on Monday, did get the money at Saratoga.

Millie’s Quest, a 5-1 shot ridden by John Velasquez, rallied to capture the $100,000 Lake George Stakes over a soggy turf course.

The 3-year-old Quest For Fame filly won for the second time in five American starts for Charles and Audrey Kenis’ 3 Plus U Stable.

Having shown a fondness for soft turf in France, Millie’s Quest, who had broken her maiden Dec. 8 at Hollywood Park, outfinished Shopping For Love and Battenkill, who was part of the mutuel field, in a race lessened by four scratches. Among those scratched was Gaviola, the morning-line favorite who had won four in a row on turf.

In Gaviola’s absence, the 6-5 favorite was Solvig, who finished far back under jockey Pat Day. Solvig, who is trained by Carl Nafzger for owner Bentley Smith, had won six of her first nine.

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Baffert, who has won the training title the last three years at Del Mar, is serious about adding another.

With two victories Monday, including a win by favored Hookedonthefeelin in the Fantastic Girl Stakes, Baffert already has six at the meet. He led in 1999 with 27 wins.

The 9-10 favorite against only four opponents in the Fantastic Girl, Hookedonthefeelin went right to the front under jockey David Flores and went on to win by three lengths over second choice Olympic Charmer.

Hookedonthefeelin won for the sixth time in 12 starts, but the victory did end a five-race losing streak. Her previous win had come in the Santa Monica Handicap at Santa Anita on Jan. 22.