Pincay awarded $2.7M

Retired Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. has been awarded $2.7 million in damages in a lawsuit he filed against Huntington Ambulance, alleging that ambulance personnel failed to properly treat a neck injury that led to his retirement in 2003.

The verdict was reached by a Pasadena, Calif., jury on Tuesday. Pincay retired as the world's leading rider with 9,530 wins. At the time, Pincay said he did not want to retire, but was being forced to do so on the advice of doctors after suffering a neck injury in a spill at Santa Anita on March 1, 2003.

In a race on the track's hillside turf course, Pincay's mount clipped heels with a rival horse that drifted into his path, causing Pincay to be unseated.

In September 2003, Pincay filed a lawsuit against Santa Anita racetrack, Huntington Ambulance, and a physician employed by the track. Pincay, 60, has reached out-of-court settlements with Santa Anita and the physician.

Pincay's attorney, Neil Papiano, alleged that Pincay's neck was not properly treated after the accident by Huntington Ambulance.

Huntington Ambulance continues to provide ambulance service at Southern California racetracks.