Baze Collects Two Wins in Rain Sunday

Jockey Russell Baze won the first two races on the Bay Meadows program Nov. 26 but missed out with four mounts on the back end of the card and remained three wins shy of setting the all-time record for career riding victories.

Sunday's racing was plagued by heavy rainfall. The track was rated wet fast at the start of the day but changed to sloppy prior to the sixth race.

Both of Baze's wins Sunday came aboard horses trained by Jerry Hollendorfer.

Baze will be off Monday and Tuesday but returns with six more rides Wednesday, six on Thursday and seven on Friday – all at Bay Meadows – as he closes in on Laffit Pincay Jr.'s all-time record of 9,530. Baze stood at 9,528 at the conclusion of Sunday's racing.

Wednesday, Baze is named to ride Where's My Halo (9-to-5 on the morning line) in the second race, Smokin Forest (7-to-2) in the third, Silveradoro (3-to-1) in the fourth,  Au Natural (3-to-1) in the fifth, Lugano (9-to-5) in the seventh, and Sylvan Hill (7-to-5) in the eighth.

The 48-year-old Baze won the opener Sunday, leading from start to finish by one-half length aboard the tiring Playing 'r Song ($5), the second choice in the $5,000 claiming event. He won the second race in quite the opposite manner, bringing 5-2 second choice Candi's Double ($7.40) from far off the pace in a $4,000 claiming event for a three-quarters of a length triumph.

Baze returned in the sixth race with an off-the-board finish on 7-1 shot Working Good. He came home third in the seventh race astride 11-10 favorite Sea Harbor. In the eighth, Baze rode 3-2 choice Marathon Mom to a second-place showing, while in the nightcap, his 9-5 elect Iza Big Star struggled home fourth.

(Chart, Equibase)