Bulimic Baze Ready to Rebound at Oak Tree

(from Oak Tree at Santa Anita notes)
Tyler Baze resumes riding at Oak Tree Wednesday after undergoing treatment for an eating disorder that dropped his weight to about 100 pounds, according to his agent, Ivan Puhich. Santa Monica nutritionist Dr. Phil Goglia treated the 22-year-old Baze, who struggled through a 62-race losing streak during the Del Mar meet.

"Tyler already has put on three or four pounds the correct way," said Puhich, who will be 80 on Dec. 22. "Aside from his triglycerides being a little high, his doctor said everything was good. That count will come down with proper diet. Tyler has to write down everything that he eats and is on a pretty strict diet, but the doctor wants him to eat three, four, five times a day.

"He can eat steak, turkey and chicken but has to stay away from anything sweet. He can have fruit with no sugar. It's a diet to add weight, not to take it off. Goglia was intercollegiate wrestling champion at Duke University and if you want to create strength, there's no better comparison than jockeys and wrestlers. Every pound of strength is important to them."

Puhich said before being treated, Baze was bulimic and "had some dental surgery for crown lengthening, and he only could eat soup, so he dropped down to about 100 pounds."

Baze tied for second in the 2004 Oak Tree jockey standings with Victor Espinoza. Each had 19 wins, two behind leader Corey Nakatani.