Baze Tops Jockey Standings

With 11 days remaining in Santa Anita’s winter-spring meet, the jockey race is still tight.

Tyler Baze, who has never led here and who finished third behind Victor Espinoza and Alex Solis last year, leads with 53 wins, two more than Patrick Valenzuela, who last led at Santa Anita in 2002-03, and five more than Rene Douglas.

Of the trio, Valenzuela will be the most active today. He is named to ride seven of the eight races. Baze has four mounts, and Douglas is scheduled to ride only three horses.

One of Valenzuela’s mounts is aboard a horse on which he just won. Ice Lemon And Rum, a 4-year-old Slew’s Royalty gelding, was a game winner by a head March 19, prevailing over Will and seven others. Owned by Carole Fernandez and trained by Hector Palma, Ice Lemon And Rum will break from the outside in a field of seven in the fifth, a $48,000 allowance for California-breds at six furlongs.

Baze will be riding Family Guy, the probable favorite, in the race, which is the first leg of the pick four. Owned by a partnership that includes trainer Eric Kruljac, the Western Fame gelding is fresh off a seven-length maiden win March 19.

Race of the day: Code Cracker, who won an allowance race by 11 1/2 lengths in his second start at Gulfstream Park on March 9, will try for his third lifetime win in five outings in today’s ninth at Gulfstream. Clinton Potts will ride the 4-year-old Cryptoclearance gelding for Lazy Lane Farms Inc. and trainer Graham Motion in the $35,000 optional claimer at one mile. The field of eight also includes Shaniko, a 4-year-old A.P. Indy colt making his first start since July 11 for owners Aaron and Marie Jones and trainer Todd Pletcher.

One for the road: Thunder Daimon ran third in her debut at Gulfstream on Feb. 28 and should improve the second time out and with the stretch to one mile in today’s sixth at Aqueduct. Herberto Castillo Jr. will ride the 3-year-old daughter of Thunder Gulch for owner-breeder Hobeau Farm and trainer Allen Jerkens in the $42,000 maiden race.

Exotically speaking: A pick three using Haven House in the fourth, Family Guy, Swiss Silver and Johnny High Brite in the fifth, and Dramatic and La Crema in the sixth.

Winners: Previous day/meet total: 2/187. Money: Previous day/meet total: $25.60/$1,027.80. Total money bet: $1,256.