Just under eleven months after overtaking his friend and contemporary Bill Shoemaker to become the world's winningest jockey, Laffit Pincay, Jr. was not slowing down. From the last few weeks of 1999 to the autumn of 2000, the Hall of Fame rider just kept winning races. By this time, Pincay was a legend who had nothing left to prove. But the Panamanian loved to race, and he was still going strong in his fifties.

As late October arrived in Southern California, Pincay was in the midst of doing something special yet again less than a year after establishing a new record. And this time, it was unprecedented.

The stage this time was Santa Anita. With the Oak Tree meet winding down, it was time for California Cup Day on October 28. Consisting of a ten race card, the first half of the festivities went well for Pincay. He captured two of the first five races with trainer Bill Spawr, taking the Merial California Cup Distaff Starter Handicap aboard Shivareen Sky and the Kenneth M. Schiffer California Cup Starter Sprint Handicap with Heightenedawareness. That second victory of the day already made the program a success for the Hall of Famer, but it also put Pincay on the cusp of history again.

That was victory number 8,999.

With five races to go that afternoon in Arcadia, the questions no doubt swirled immediately after Pincay reached the wire with Heightenedawareness. Could today be the day? Will it be tomorrow? When will he reach 9,000?

It would not be in the fifth race, as Pincay had no mount for that contest. But he was back in action soon after, for he was assigned to ride Chichim in the next event, the Louis R. Rowan California Cup Distaff on the hillside turf course.

Trained by Juan Garcia and owned by Marianne Millard (co-breeder of Cal-bred champion Melair), Chichim was the race's defending champion. She had also won a minor stakes race at Hollywood Park and had placed in some other minor stakes prior to the 2000 version of Cal Cup Day. She and Pincay had also teamed previously, getting a victory together. More recently, Chichim had been seventh against allowance company going a mile on the Santa Anita turf on October 13. Now reunited with Pincay, who was not aboard for that last start, Chichim was back on the hillside in attempt to keep her title.

The recent off the board result did not seem to bother the majority of bettors. Chichim was sent off as the 2-1 favorite in a field of 14, perhaps because of her experience on the hillside turf course along with the fact Pincay was again nearing a milestone.

Once the gates opened, Harvest Girl went for the lead. So did second choice Show Me the Stage and with Trying Ty. Martin Pedroza hustled the rail horse, Victoire, to go up with the leaders, and soon it was her and Show Me the Stage battling for first with Harvest Girl and Fair Apache just behind. Chichim was well off the pace in a strung out field as they went down the hillside.

The opening fraction was 21.53 as Show Me the Stage got the lead ahead of Victoire, who was on the inside. Fair Apache and Harvest Girl were still in it, sticking closely to the top two. The field was strung out yet also bunched in spots as they kept moving across the grass. Chichim and Pincay were in a battle for eighth place at the moment, but they were not racing wide. With almost half the field behind them, the duo continued moving around the turn while preparing for the stretch run.

Show Me the Stage and Kent Desormeaux continued to work the tempo of the California Cup Distaff as Fair Apache and Victoire continued to closely track them. Once the field reached the dirt crossing, several horses appeared to have a chance to win the race. Just before arriving at the dirt, Pincay and Chichim made their move.

The half-mile finished in 43.89. Pincay and Chichim found themselves having to go wide before returning to the turf. Show Me the Stage went on ahead. Victoire was done on the inside. Chichim had been around nine or ten wide as she straightened into the stretch, but that did not bother her in the least. She kept going, catching up and passing horses on the outside as Show Me the Stage tried to hang on. The crowd got louder as Chichim sought back-to-back Distaffs and Pincay chased his latest milestone. Chichim moved confidently, not unlike how Zenyatta would move in the stretch several years later. Pincay pumped the reins and went to the riding crop as he asked for more from his mount.

Suddenly, Chichim was in third as Cover Gal tried to spring a surprise on the inside. Show Me the Stage fought on, while Dusty Heather showed up on Chichim's outside. Pincay continued urging Chichim as she and Cover Gal caught the leader. Chichim got to the front. Cover Gal continued on. Dusty Heather got to within a half-length of Chichim as Show Me the Stage was sent to fourth place. Chichim kept Cover Gal and Dusty Heather at bay as everyone learned that three-quarters of a mile went by in 1:07.34. Dusty Heather made up some ground to be within a neck. And that was the margin of victory.

Pincay, who had stayed busy in the saddle for he rest of the stretch run, celebrated by raising his arm in victory. He had done it. And he was the first to do it. He now had 9,000 wins. This was not rarified air. This was an untouched stratosphere, and he was the only one to have reached it. Less than a year after becoming the sport's all-time leading rider, Pincay had again made history at a track he had long dominated. The legend had reached a new level.

As it turned out, Pincay was not finished that day. He added two more wins to his expanding collection. First, he piloted Road to Slew in the Ralph M. Scurfield California Cup Mile Handicap for Craig Dollase, and followed that up with a surprise score in the California Cup Classic aboard longshot Sky Jack. Now at the age of 53, Pincay was an ageless wonder on the track. He simply kept winning that day.

He would also keep winning for a couple of more years. Over 500 more visits to the winners' circle awaited him before he retired.

But on that autumn afternoon at Santa Anita, the man who had once won races in his native Panama stood in front of thousands of fans as his career reached new heights.