This Is a Day Pincay Shouldn’t Forget

Legendary jockey Laffit Pincay Jr., who will be honored at Santa Anita today when all fans will be given a DVD titled “Laffit: All About Winning,” is known for being absent-minded.

Vince DeGregory, Pincay’s agent in the early 1970s, recalls that he once gave Pincay a $10,000 check from a horse owner and told him to give it to his wife for safekeeping.

Well, Pincay forgot to do that, and the check went through the wash in his pants.

Fortunately for Pincay, the owner wrote out a new check.

Trivia time: Pincay, 58, won many riding titles, including seven at Santa Anita’s Oak Tree meeting. At what age did he win his first Oak Tree riding title?

Oops: Former jockey Don Pierce tells another story about Pincay’s absent-mindedness. Pierce said one day at Santa Anita he saw Pincay’s wife in the jockeys’ room sitting on a bench. She told Pierce she was waiting for Laffit.

“The only problem was,” Pierce says, “Laffit forgot she was there and had already left.”

Pierce drove her home.

Antiquated thinking: On Pete Carroll’s decision to not allow officials to use instant replay during today’s USC-Notre Dame game, reader John Phillips of Morro Bay says, “It’s a good thing Pete was not involved in thoroughbred racing. We would still have placing judges rather than the photo-finish camera.”

Dave gets topped: Some New Yorkers say Alex Rodriguez is the reason the Yankees didn’t beat the Angels, prompting David Letterman to say, “And thank God for this, honestly, ladies and gentlemen, because I am now no longer the most overpaid disappointment in the city.”

Rule change: “Well, I guess you heard,” Jay Leno said Thursday night. “Major League Baseball has a new policy -- three strikes and you walk.”

The correct call: Jeanne Zelasko wrapped up an interview with Chicago White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski on Thursday’s Fox pregame show by saying, “Thank you for joining us and now I’m going to tell you something that the umpire should have told you on Wednesday night: You’re outta here.”

Good point: Comedian Lewis Black, appearing on HBO’s “Inside the NFL,” said fantasy football is out of control and “there is so much scrolling and popping up that I can’t see the play on my television.”

Black added, “There’s a reason why people watch TV. They don’t want to read.”

Looking back: On this day in 1983, Columbia beat Yale, 21-18. It was the Lions’ last victory before losing an NCAA-record 44 consecutive games.

Trivia answer: Pincay won his first Oak Tree riding title in 1969 at age 22.

And finally: Reggie Hayes of the Fort Wayne (Ind.) News-Sentinel, on Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weis’ studying up for today’s game against USC: “Unreliable sources say Weis emerged from the film room, gave USC’s offense two thumbs up and asked if Roger Ebert would trade jobs for the weekend.”

Larry Stewart can be reached at larry.stewart@latimes.com.