Tyler Baze Draws Three-Day Suspension

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(from Santa Anita notes)
Tyler Baze, Santa Anita's leading rider with 18 wins through Saturday, has been suspended three days (Jan. 19-21) "for failure to make proper effort to maintain a straight course in the stretch" aboard Like A Tiger, a one-length winner in Friday's fourth race.

Like A Tiger was not disqualified even though he drifted in during the stretch run.

"If Cohen's horse (apprentice David Cohen, aboard third-place horse Exclamation) finished closer (than four lengths behind the winner and three behind runner-up Casual Thunder), very likely, Tyler's number would have come down," steward Tom Ward explained.

"But we felt that even though Cohen did steady, his finish wasn't affected. That was not to say that Tyler didn't commit an offense. We thought to some degree that there was danger involved so that's the reason we issued days. It was only three days because Tyler normally is a very, very clean rider."

(Chart, Equibase)

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