Russell Baze
Russell Baze (born 7th August 1958 in Vancouver, Canada)
WAS the new world record holder for the highest number of
winners ridden, surpassing the great Laffit Pincay and like Laffit, is
also a member of the United States Racing Hall of Fame.
Here is his story:
Born to an American family (Russell Baze's father, Joe Baze, is a
former jockey and trainer who was competing at Exhibition Park in
Vancouver at the time of his birth, giving him dual Canadian/American
citizenship), Russell Baze began his racing career in Walla Walla,
Washington in 1973 and won his first race the following year at the
Yakima racetrack. By the early 1980s, he was making a name for himself,
winning racing titles at northern Californian racetracks, including a
victory in the 1981 California Derby. Baze went on to lead United
States thoroughbred horse racing in victories seven times. He has won
36 riding titles at Bay Meadows racetrack in San Mateo, California and
26 titles at Golden Gate Fields in Albany, California.
After winning 400 or more races in a year for four consecutive
years, Baze was honoured with a special Eclipse Award in 1995. Since
then, he has won 400 or more races in a year seven additional times;
no other jockey has accomplished that feat more than three times.
In 1999, Russell Baze was inducted into the National Museum of
Racing and Hall of Fame and in 2002, he was voted the recipient of the
prestigious George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award by his peers. From its
inauguration in 1995 until 2004, Baze won the Isaac Murphy Award every
year as the U.S. jockey with the highest winning percentage.
Baze holds the Santa Anita Park track record for 1 1/2 miles on
turf, set on October 14, 1989 aboard the 3-year-old colt, Hawkster.
In the fourth race at Bay Meadows on December 1, 2006, Baze set the
world's all-time record for most career victories, passing jockey
Laffit Pincay Jr, by winning race 9,531 aboard Butterfly Belle.
At his current winning pace, Baze could reach 10,000 wins by his
50th birthday, in the Summer of 2008. However, the saga continues
because, believe it or not, on February 5, 2007, Brazilian jockey
Jorge Ricardo rode the 9,591st victory of HIS career to surpass
the currently injured Russell Baze as the all-time leader in racing
wins.
Baze and his wife Tami have three daughters, Trinity, Brandi and
Cassie, and one son, Gable.
Till we 'beat' again, good
racing.
The Big G
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