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THE FORMATIVE YEARS
It all began in 1934. Vince was born in Greenwich. His parents moved to a house on West Circular Street a year later.
Vince would cherish his days growing up in Saratoga’s version of “Little Italy.” First generation Italian Americans and their families dotted the streets of this West Side neighborhood. Vince learned to speak Italian from the older generation. He relished in the hustle and bustle that was in the air. Vince has fond memories of the fruit and vegetable vendors, the Saint Michael’s Feast, and the fireworks display that ended the festival.
His grandfather was the proprietor of DeGregory’s, a restaurant that catered to racetrack patrons during the August season. There he caught a glimpse of the racing crowd, and he liked what he saw.
At that time the thoroughbred horses were brought in by rail cars. Young Vince would follow the caravan as it left the train station, destined for its final stop on Union Avenue. From that point racing was in his blood.
Vince DeGregory was no average kid. He was smart and excelled in sports, especially baseball. He was talented enough in America’s pastime that he was approached by The Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team as a prospect.
If that wasn’t enough, Vince was an accomplished trumpet player. He had his own band. If not for his success on the racetrack, this musician may well have become a top performer in the entertainment field.
ENTER EDDIE ARCARO
Vince decided to enter college after he graduated from high school. He chose the University of Vermont. The head baseball coach at the school and Vince didn’t hit it off. He felt it was time to move on. After a four-year stint in the Army, he returned to Saratoga. In his absence his father had built a home on Lake Avenue. “Honest Jim” as his father was known, rented the ranch style home every August to the premier race rider this country has every produced, Eddie Arcaro.
Arcaro had a profound influence on Vince. He was introduced to many well-known racetrack personalities through his new found mentor. Arcaro, aware of Vince’s desire to become part of the racing game, suggested becoming a jockey’s agent may be the way to go. The idea was presented with one caveat. Eddie stated that maybe ten, or even fewer agents make it bigtime. There would be no easy road to success. Vince didn’t take long to make his decision. He was ready to roll the dice.
Arcaro set up a meeting with the Stewards and vouched for Vince’s character. Marshall Cassidy regarded as one of the toughest in the business liked what he heard, and Vince was granted his jockey agent’s license.
On the way out, Arcaro left him with this sound advice. “It’s going to be a struggle. Nothing comes easy. I want you to do this for me. Always honor a trainer’s call. When you commit to a mount for your jockey, never take a better offer after you agree to the first. Your reputation will depend on it.” Vince has lived by that advice for his entire career. It has served him well.
LEARNING THE TRADE
For the next seven years Vince was on the move. Eddie Arcaro made arrangements for him to take the book of journeyman rider Con Errico. When Errico decided to move his tack to New Orleans for the Fair Grounds meet, Vince bowed out. He recognized, and rightfully so that he would be a complete stranger to the owners and trainers who raced their horses in The Cajun State.
Next, he teamed up with a sixteen-year-old Panamanian sensation, Jacinto Vasquez. They tried their luck in Phoenix, Arizona at Turf Paradise. Jacinto opened up with a bang winning three races in his debut at the track. The next day he broke his leg. Vince could hear Arcaro’s words, “Nothing comes easy.” The two parted ways when Jacinto headed for Oaklawn Park that winter.
Now it was time for Vince to sharpen his skills at racetracks all along the East Coast. He went anywhere he could get a decent jockey’s book. He worked the Mid-Atlantic States. The names are familiar to racetrack enthusiasts and historians. Laurel, Pimlico, Bowie, Delaware Park, Garden State, and Atlantic City were some of the names on Vince’s racing calendar. He didn’t complain. It was all part of the learning curve and learn he did. All the hard work and years on the road were about to pay off. Seven was going to be his lucky number.
ENTER ANGEL CORDERO JR.
Seven years had passed since Vince entered the arena. He came home to Saratoga that August of 1966. As fate would have it, he was at his father’s restaurant one night. America’s premier jockeys, Eddie Arcaro and Willie Shoemaker stopped in for a cocktail. In a conversation with Vince and his dad, they mentioned a young Puerto Rican jockey who had just arrived in the states. These two titans of the turf both agreed that the newcomer was as talented as they had seen in a long time...his name, Angel Cordero Jr. Vince’s antenna went straight up. The wheels began to turn. He contacted a mutual friend of both he and Cordero, jockey Eddie Belmonte. Eddie made arrangements for the two to meet. Cordero accepted Vince’s offer to be his agent. The racing world was about to take notice. Now it was time to get quality mounts for his would-be star. One morning at the track, he ran into John Jacobs, a friend from his days at the University of Vermont. He made his case that Cordero was one very talented jockey. Jacobs walked Vince over to his father’s barn. It wasn’t just any barn. It was that of one of the all-time great racehorse conditioners, Hirsch Jacobs. Vince made his pitch for Cordero. Mister Jacobs was impressed. Vince was about to get a manna from heaven. Jacobs gave Angel five mounts the next day. He was paid back in spades. Cordero won three of the races and finished second in the other two.
Vince and “The Littlest Angel” were on clouds number one through nine. For the next five years they were on a magic carpet ride to success. Angel Cordero Jr. became a household name. He notched one riding title after another. In 1968, a short two years after the partnership began, Angel was the leading jockey in the country with 345 wins.
CALIFORNIA HERE I COME
In the winter of 1970, Angel and Vince decided to test the warm winds of Southern California. They headed west for the lucrative Santa Anita Meeting. Before racing even began, an employee strike shut the track down for five weeks. Angel decided to head back East and compete in Miami at Hialeah Park. Vince had found paradise in his new surroundings. He chose to stay there.
Vince had met jockey Laffite Pincay Jr. at the Saratoga Meeting the year before. They discussed the possibility of becoming a team. Since he was riding high with Angel, he had no plans to take him up on the offer.
In an impromptu meeting at Santa Anita after parting with Cordero, Pincay offered Vince the same deal. This time he agreed to it. The rest is history. For five consecutive years with the guiding hand of Vince, Pincay led the country in money earned. He had become the most famous jockey in the United States.
There is an old saying that reads “All good things must come to an end,” and so they did. Vince and Laffite parted company at the height of their mega successful alliance.
Vince went on to be the agent for many riding stars. Count the immortal Willie Shoemaker, along with Chris McCarron, Jorge Velasquez, Alex Solis, and Victor Espinoza. He has worked with an unprecedented eight jockeys who are members of the Hall of Fame here on Union Avenue.
HURRAY FOR HOLLYWOOD
Vince loved the Hollywood scene and Hollywood loved him right back, and why not. Vince had something you can’t buy. It’s called class. Add to that charisma and a wardrobe that stepped right out of Gentleman’s Quarterly.
He became personal friends with many well-known stars. Songwriter Burt Bacharach, Angie Dickinson, and Dionne Warwick are among them. Jack Klugman, Walter Matthau, John Forsythe, Sammy Davis Jr., and George Raft were all pals of his. Tommy Lasorda, the wily manager of the L.A. Dodgers and his counterpart Jim Fregosi, Skipper of the Angels enjoyed Vince’s company. He could talk baseball with the best of them and they relished in it. Vince was also pals with Schenectady legend Pat Riley. Pat hoist four NBA Championship Trophies as Lakers coach. Vince was a regular at the Forum where he sat courtside. There, he and Riley could be seen having a few laughs prior to game time.
Bandleader Harry James and Vince were buddies. They shared a common thread. Vince could make the trumpet howl. One night in front of a packed auditorium, he and the one and only James dazzled the crowd with horn style magic for over an hour.
Frank Sinatra too was a personal friend. When Sinatra made his comeback at Madison Square Garden, Vince called Jilly Rizzo, Frank’s confidant and bodyguard for tickets. Jilly told him to forget about it. There wasn’t a seat available in the house. He tried one more time. Rizzo said, “Ok, you’re in, I got you the tickets.” Vince picked them up. They were some of the worst seats in the house. He was still ecstatic to get them. At the Garden he handed the usher his tickets. He, his wife, and dad were led down flights of stairs, then aisle after aisle, finally closing in on the stage. He passed Gregory Peck and Kurt Douglas as he was escorted to front row seats. He could not believe what was happening. It was a gesture of friendship and admiration from “The Chairman of the Board,” one that Vince cherishes to this very day.
Turf writers found Vince to be the ideal topic for their columns. The late Joe Hirsch, the premier correspondent at the Daily Racing Form for decades, was one of them. Jim Murray, a fourteen-time Sportswriter of the Year also found him to be a great subject for his nationwide audience.
AGING LIKE A FINE BORDEAUX
Vince is eighty-six now. He still does what he always has. Being a jockey’s agent is in his blood. He is up at four o’clock in the morning. He gets to the track at five thirty. Vince then meets with trainers with the intent of getting the best available mounts for his rider. This is his sixtieth year in the business. He has no plans to retire. He enjoys the daily routine. Besides, what better way to stay young than doing something that you were made for.
I would like to thank Vince for allowing me the opportunity to interview him. Hours were spent over the telephone discussing his remarkable life. He is a gentleman and a pleasure to converse with. I asked him if he plans on returning to Saratoga someday. He answered “yes, maybe sometime soon.”
I am sure that when he does, a warm welcome will be in store for him. The young kid from the West Side of Saratoga has never forgotten his roots. He asks about the many friends that he grew up with. When I say that they have done well, one can visualize the smile on his face. He is a one of a kind who through hard work, an ethical approach, and an innate talent saw his wildest dreams come true.
A FINAL REMARK
This remarkable quote from a 1972 article in Turf and Sport Digest best defines Vince and his extraordinary career. Comparing him with the great football coach Vince Lombardi, this analogy was made. “Lombardi and DeGregory have more in common than their first names. They also share an impeccable drive for dedication, performance, and winning. The Green Bay Packers attest to one; Cordero and Pincay affirm the other.”
