Laffit Pincay Jr. broke a bone in his neck when he was thrown from his horse during a race and the injury could end the career of thoroughbred racing's winningest jockey.
Pincay was hurt last weekend at Santa Anita and will spend the next eight weeks in a cast, his son said Thursday.
``We expect a full recovery, and a decision on his career will be made at a future date,'' Laffit Pincay III said.
The 56-year-old Pincay was initially thought to have had muscle contusions to the back of his neck. He was expected to return to riding yesterday and was booked on six mounts.
However, the injury is far more serious. Pincay III said his father will be fitted with a halo cast and leave a Los Angeles hospital in a day or so. He said his father was in good spirits.
The fractured bone is "cervical 2," track spokesman Vince Bruun said. Cervical 2 is one of the uppermost seven vertebrae of the spine.
Pincay, who has more victories than any other jockey with 9,531, was thrown to the grass when his mount, Trampus Too, fell on the turn for home in the fifth race last Saturday.
Jockey Tony Farina was suspended for seven days for altering the course without sufficient clearance on Rainman's Request, which resulted in the spill that injured Pincay.
Pincay passed Bill Shoemaker's career record of 8,833 wins three years ago and has been determined to reach 10,000 victories despite his age.
``I have surprised myself that I'm still riding and competing the way I am,'' he said last summer, joking that he can't quit because his phobia about public speaking would preclude a retirement speech.
Pincay's 39-year career includes election to racing's Hall of Fame in 1975, a 1984 Kentucky Derby victory, three Belmont Stakes victories, five Eclipse Awards, and mounts on such great horses as Affirmed and John Henry.
The son of a famous rider in Panama and Venezuela, Pincay came to the US at 17, speaking only Spanish and carrying a US$500-a-month riding contract. He taught himself English by watching ``Hollywood Squares'' on TV.
He reached the winner's circle on his first US mount, in 1966 at Chicago's Arlington Park.
Pincay's achievements haven't come without injury. He's broken his collarbone 11 times, broken 10 ribs, had two spinal fractures, two punctured lungs, two broken thumbs and a sprained ankle.
What's most remarkable about Pincay's longevity is his ability to control his weight.
Pincay has battled the scale since he was a teenager. Back then, he was told he was too big to be a jockey. He weighs 51kg and rides at 53kg, which includes his saddle and tack.
``He's built like a fighter, and the desire and ability he has, even today, is just unbelievable,'' Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally has said.
Yu Yao-hsing on Tuesday nabbed Taiwan’s only goal in the final round of qualifiers for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, as they fell 3-1 to Sri Lanka at Taipei Municipal Stadium. Early goals from Sri Lanka in the first half left Taiwan struggling to get on the board, and Christopher Tiao’s own goal at 53 minutes sealed the team’s fate in the third round of qualifiers. While acknowledging that the defeat, Taiwan’s sixth in Group D, was disappointing, head coach Matt Ross said he saw reasons to stay positive about the team’s development. “There were lots of positive signs in terms of the
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli yesterday vowed to “keep raising the bar” after winning the Japanese Grand Prix to become the youngest driver in Formula One history to lead the championship standings. The 19-year-old Italian took advantage of a mid-race safety car to jump into the lead after a dreadful start from pole position, crossing the line ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Antonelli’s Suzuka victory came two weeks after the first grand prix win of his career in China, and sent him top of the championship standings after three races, nine points ahead of team-mate George Russell. Mercedes are struggling to
INDIGESTION: Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time after a 4-1 defeat to Bosnia on penalties in a loss Gattuso said was ‘difficult to digest’ Coach Graham Arnold on Tuesday challenged his players to “shock the world” after Iraq became the 48th and final team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup with a nerve-shredding 2-1 win over Bolivia in an intercontinental playoff in Mexico, as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Sweden and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) also secured their places at the finals. Iraq, whose preparations were disrupted by the war in the Middle East, sealed their first appearance at the finals in 40 years and are to play in Group I against France, Senegal and Norway. Goals from Ali al-Hamadi
Teng Kai-wei, the only Taiwanese player on an opening-day roster in this year’s Major League Baseball (MLB) season, took his first win of the year with the Houston Astros in his season debut. Teng entered in relief in the top of the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, with the Astros trailing 5-0. He pitched 2-1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts, as Houston scored 11 runs during his outing to snatch an 11-9 comeback victory. The win is the Astros’ first of the season and the third of Teng’s MLB career. “It’s my first time pitching for the Astros, so
RSS