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Jockey Russell Baze recorded his 10,000th career victory Friday, February 1, at Golden Gate Fields and the milestone win came by the slimmest of margins.
Russell Baze, the winningest jockey in North American racing history, won the third race of the day aboard Two Step Cat, who prevailed in a three-horse photo finish over Brite Oakie and Unusual Men.
Battling gamely while racing along the rail, Two Step Cat just got up to win the one-mile race for $4,000 claimers by a nostril. Brite Oakie took second by a nose over Unusual Men.
“I was surprised they put my number up,” said Baze. “I thought Brite Oakie was in front of me. I got a seriously good nod (of the noses).”
Two Step Cat is trained by Armando Lage, who believed Baze made all the difference in his horse winning the photo.
“That’s why Russell is so good, he never gives up,” said Lage. “And, he’ll ride a $4,000 claimer as hard as a stakes horse because he just wants to win races.”
Baze, although very happy to reach the 10,000-win mark, doesn’t plan to rest on his laurels.
“Milestones are a way of marking progress, and I think I still have a lot of milestones in front of me,” said Baze, who added that he’s only “49 years young.”
When asked how he has been able to handle the tough daily rigors of being a jockey for so long, Baze, quipped, “After the first 20 years you kind of get into a rhythm.”
Friday’s victory was the second landmark win for Baze in the past 14 months. On Dec. 2, 2006, at Bay Meadows, Baze overtook the great Laffit Pincay, Jr. as North America’s all-time win leader when he posted career win No. 9,531 aboard Butterfly Belle.
Baze finished the afternoon with 10,002 victories as he teamed up with Lage again to win the sixth race with Royal Wager ($6.00), and then captured the seventh race aboard Hawaiian Afleet, a mount he picked up from the ailing Chad Schvaneveldt. Jedd Josephson trains Hawaiian Afleet.
A Hall of Famer, Russell Baze will be back in the saddle Saturday at Golden Gate Fields, where he is scheduled to compete in seven races. Post time is 12:15 p.m.
www.goldengatefields.com
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