Pincay to Co-Host White Horse Heroes Luncheon

Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. will co-host the Taylor Made Farm White Horse Heroes Luncheon and the presentation of Race Track Chaplaincy of America's fourth White Horse Award, held in conjunction with the Breeders' Cup World Championships this fall at Churchill Downs.

The luncheon, at Churchill Downs' Triple Crown room, is set for Nov. 2, two days before the Breeders' Cup. Co-hosted by Chris Lincoln, it features the naming of the annual White Horse Award winner, a backstretch or racing farm worker judged to have performed the most heroic act in behalf of human or horse.

"I'm proud that I was asked," said Pincay who retired after a neck injury in 2003 with a record 9,530 victories. "Sometimes the people on the backstretch and especially the grooms would tell me a lot of things that would help my riding. The grooms know a lot more about their horses than a lot of people think, and all the workers deserve to be recognized for all they do."

Pincay would often join other famous riders in preparing and serving a special meal for the Santa Anita Park backstretch workers during an annual event sponsored by the Southern California RTCA division.

Lincoln said he remembers the late Bill Shoemaker telling him after Pincay eclipsed Shoemaker's record 8,833 victories in 1999 that he could not have picked a better rider or nicer person to do it. "Laffit is a true sportsman and a class act," Lincoln said. "He is one of racing's true legends."

Pincay won seven Breeders' Cup races, including the Classic (gr. I) on Skywalker in 1986, and four Triple Crown races, including the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) on Swale in 1984. He led the national standings seven times and is the only six-time Eclipse Award winner.