A lefty with a mean fastball, NBC and Fox Horse Racing analyst Laffit Pincay is this week’s The Player’s Edge guest. He’ll stop by to give us his thoughts on three BIG Tampa Bay Downs’ Stakes Races. It’s where he will be Live, On-Track Saturday, February 12, 2022.
The Races include:
Race 7: $100,000 Pelican Stakes
Race 8 -$150,000 Suncoast Stakes
Race 10 – $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes
Make Sure you follow Laffit Pincay on Twitter: https://twitter.com/laffitpincaytv
Q&A with Laffit Pincay
HRR: You’ve been around horse racing your entire life. Unlike many other children of great athletes, you were fortunate to be old enough to understand and enjoy your father’s professional achievements. How cool was it going to the track, watching pops win and go, “that’s my dad!”?
Laffit Pincay
Laffit Pincay: There are so many great memories, so much fun, excitement and, of course, there were terrifying moments. I learned at an early age how dangerous this sport is and naturally, I was relieved when my father eventually retired, intact. (Even if it did take a fractured neck to force him to quit).
That aside, once I was old enough to understand and appreciate the game, there was nothing more exciting than going to the track when dad had a live mount in a big race. The anticipation, the nerves, the adrenaline…….and when things went well – NOTHING like it!
HRR: Obviously, your dad was one of the all-time great jockeys, winning 9,530 races. What, if anything, did he tell/teach you about betting on the ponies?
Laffit Pincay: We never really discussed betting. He didn’t teach me how to read the form, we would discuss race riding. He taught me about preparation, focus and execution. He was able to apply his experiences, (both successful and failed) into valuable life lessons. If I feel “off” now, he’s the first person I call. There isn’t an emotion I’ve experienced in my career that he can’t relate to, and I can’t express how helpful that’s been.
HRR: You were an aspiring baseball player. What position did you play, and which MLB player did you emulate and what about him caught your attention?
Laffit Pincay: I pitched from Little League until my senior year in high school; left-handed, threw hard, and had a lot of natural movement. I was a big Dodgers and Angels fan growing up, but Rickey Henderson was always my favorite player. As a kid, I liked him because he was unconventional, threw left-handed and hit right-handed like I did. Later, I just liked watching “Rickey being Rickey”. When I was nine, he signed a ball for me at Anaheim stadium- couldn’t have been nicer.
HRR: In another interview, you said that you could turn the channel from one game to another game and the quality of experience was impacted by the commentary. How did that influence your decision to become a sports broadcaster?
Laffit Pincay: As a kid, I’d get super excited when the Dodgers were on NBC’s “Game of the Week” with Costas and Garagiola or when the Raiders were on Monday Night Football. At that age, you don’t know the first thing about production value, budget, national event versus local, etc. But you can feel the difference. I guess I felt inspired and whether I knew it or not at the time, it played a big role in my future.
HRR: Who is the broadcaster you looked up to and said that’s who I would want to be?
Laffit Pincay: Bob Costas can make an insurance seminar feel important and interesting somehow.
HRR: As a young broadcaster, you lived on a friend’s couch and covered some high school sports. Tell us about your favorite high school sports moment as a startup journalist?
Laffit Pincay: High School Basketball in New York city is next level, those gyms on Friday nights are electric! How about an infamous moment? I was shooting a Fordham homecoming game from the sideline and got too close to the field of play. A referee barreled over me, chasing a deep pass and missed an obvious pass interference in the end zone against Holy Cross. Spectators at Jack Coffee were not pleased with yours truly.
HRR: You moved to New York City after growing up in Los Angeles. What sort of culture shock did you experience going to New York City?
Laffit Pincay: I didn’t realize how sheltered I was. Culture shock is a great description. Twenty-two years old, living alone in New York (aside from one friend). It was overwhelming. I remember talking to friends and family, “Did I make a mistake”? Guess I was just scared. In the end, best move I ever made. I learned and grew so much in those three years. There is no way I’m in television now, if not for that experience.
HRR: And what did you think the first time you saw all the garbage in the streets because there aren’t many, if any, alleys in NYC?
Laffit Pincay: The cat-sized rats in the subway tunnels freaked me out. Almost as bad as the five-foot eel left on the curb for trash pickup. I almost tripped over it one morning.
HRR: Since you’ve moved to the national stage, share with us an instance where your job put you in a good situation and you thought to yourself, I can’t believe this is happening?
Laffit Pincay on Set for the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series
Laffit Pincay: My first Kentucky Derby in 2012. I hosted the undercard in 2011 but didn’t work on the network broadcast. I remember how excited and proud I felt. I also remember not being able to breathe when the reporter “whip around” began; beyond nervous. Fortunately, my place in the order was right behind Bob Neumeier. Something about his poise and delivery…….so relaxed. I heard his voice and it helped me relax (sort of). He was infectious that way. I miss him.
HRR: The Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup races are the biggest deal in the USA. Given the chance, what international race(s) would you like to call and why?
Laffit Pincay: Royal Ascot and The Melbourne Cup. The Melbourne Cup based on reputation and if you’ve watched five minutes of Royal Ascot coverage, you’ll know what I’m talking about. There’s pageantry and then there’s Royal Ascot, amazing
HRR: Growing up in LA, it was the Dodgers, Lakers, USC and the Raiders. Raiders? How did that happen and are you rethinking that allegiance with the Rams in the Super Bowl?
Laffit Pincay: I’ve been asked that question so many times over the last week and a half. I was a serious Raiders and Rams fan growing up. The Jim Everett Rams, Eric Dickerson, Henry Ellard, Jackie Slater Rams. It’s Really strange.
When the Rams moved to St. Louis, I just stopped caring. When the Raiders moved back to Oakland, I felt like they were going home, where they always belonged. Completely organic, I didn’t decide to like one team and not the other. Turned on a St. Louis game, wasn’t the least bit invested, turned on an Oakland Raiders game and it was like rooting for dad in a horse race.
