The Oak Tree Racing Association will be presented the
seventh annual Laffit Pincay Jr. Award during the Hollywood Gold Cup program on
Saturday, July 10 at Hollywood
Park.
Pincay, a member of racing’s Hall of Fame since 1975,
will make the presentation between the fifth and sixth races.
Accepting on Oak Tree’s behalf will be current
members of the board of directors, including Dr. Jack Robbins, one of its three
founders, Dr. Rick Arthur, John Barr, Tom Capehart, Hall of Fame trainer
Richard Mandella and Bob Zamarripa, Sr.
The Pincay Award is presented annually to someone who
has served the sport with integrity, extraordinary dedication, determination
and distinction.
“Oak Tree has done many great things for racing
through the years,’’ said Pincay. “They have raised a lot of money for various
charities and it’s always been about the horses and the horsemen.
“They have put so much back into the game. I have a
great deal of respect for what they have done. It was always a meeting I looked
forward to and enjoyed when I was riding. I won a lot of big races at Oak
Tree.’’
Three of Pincay’s seven Breeders’ Cup victories
occurred at the annual autumn meet at Santa Anita.
Pincay won the Juvenile with Capote and the Classic
with Skywalker in 1986. The last Breeders’ Cup win of his illustrious career
came aboard Phone Chatter in the 1993 Juvenile Fillies.
A not-for-profit, non-dividend paying group of active
California
owners and breeders whose directors serve without compensation, Oak Tree began
as a 20-day meet in 1969 under the guidance of Robbins and the late Clement L.
Hirsch and Louis R. Rowan.
In the ensuing 40 plus years, Oak Tree has grown and
thrived, contributing over $26 million to endeavors benefiting the racing
industry.
This includes more than $4.6 million in support of
work at the University of California-Davis Center for Equine Health and
Performance, plus contributions to the Grayson-Jockey Club Foundation, American
Horse Council, Race Track Chaplaincy and Winners Foundation, which aids those
in racing to fight substance abuse.
Oak Tree has also been beneficial to the community.
Grants have gone to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, Arcadia Mounted Police
Unit, California Philharmonic, Fairplex Child Development Foundation, Hillsides
Home for Children, Holy
Angels School,
Methodist Hospital Foundation and the Panda Charitable Foundation.
Projects that have benefited horsemen at Santa Anita
are a remodeled stable cafeteria, a backstretch recreation facility and the
funding of English-speaking classes for backstretch workers.
The Pincay Jr. Award was introduced by Hollywood Park in 2004 with long-time executive
and racing publicist Bob Benoit the initial winner.
Trainer Noble Threewitt was the recipient in 2005,
while the Stute brothers — Mel and Warren — shared the award in 2006.
Owner/breeder Ellwood W. “Bud” Johnston, whose Old English Rancho is one of the
most storied names in California
racing, won the award in 2007, while legendary steward Pete Pedersen was the
recipient in 2008. Merlin Volzke, who also had a distinguished career as a
steward, became the first former jockey to win the award in 2009.