Pincay rode Affirmed for the first time in 1977 when the horse was a 2-year-old, and won. But it was decided that Affirmed would go East for further races, and that put Pincay and his agent, George O'Brien, in a tough spot. They had a good business going in California, owners and trainers who deserved loyalty.
"George said we can always get Affirmed back later," Pincay says.
And so Cauthen got the ride and Pincay's Triple Crown.
"I still think about that a lot," says Pincay, 62, and retired since 2003. "But it was just meant to happen that way."
O'Brien eventually made amends, not that Pincay blamed him.
Cauthen was on suspension at the time of the April '78 Santa Anita Derby, and Affirmed was scheduled to run in that important Kentucky Derby prep. Agents for Pincay and fellow star jockey Angel Cordero pushed hard for the ride. They decided to settle it with a coin flip.
O'Brien made the toss, his rider won, and Pincay's winning Santa Anita Derby ride stayed in Barrera's memory so that, when Cauthen went into his slump the next year, Pincay got the ride back. He rode Affirmed to a 10-length victory in the Strub Stakes at Santa Anita and finished off Affirmed's career with six more victories.
"If Angel had won that coin flip," Pincay says, "he would have gotten the ride when Stevie went into his slump."
Pincay still has the coin, a nickel encased in clear plastic that he shows off proudly.
The $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup was the biggest purse for which Affirmed would run. The Kentucky Derby offered $125,000 that year, and the Preakness and Belmont $150,000 each. Were he to win the Gold Cup, Affirmed would become the first horse to pass the $2-million mark.
"Laz told me in the paddock before the race to just put him wherever he was comfortable," Pincay says. "He knew Affirmed had the speed to go to the front, or the speed to come back and wait."
Affirmed, carrying top weight of 132 pounds, broke from an inside post and was pretty much forced to stay there as a turf specialist named Sirlad stayed right on his shoulder.
"I wasn't so worried about the weight," Pincay says. "I knew he was the best horse, and the 132 wasn't a problem. I was worried about being on the rail. That hadn't been the place to be at Hollywood Park the whole meeting. Riders were breaking and getting out to the middle as fast as they could."
