Four Wins Make Baze Second on All-Time List

Now that Russell Baze has passed the late Bill Shoemaker as the second winningest jockey in history, he can take aim at Laffit Pincay Jr.

With four victories Saturday, Baze has 8,834, one more than Shoemaker. Only Pincay, who retired nearly two years ago with 9,530, has more.

Baze, who rode his first winner on Oct. 28, 1974, at Yakima Meadows in central Washington and has been the dominant rider in Northern California for most of the time since, reached the magic number when he directed favored Hollow Memories to a wire-to-wire victory in Saturday’s seventh race at Golden Gate Fields. The 6-year-old Maryland-bred gelding, who was racing against $4,000 claimers, is owned by Lester Hunsucker and trained by Jamey Thomas.

Earlier on the program, Baze, 46, had won the second with Face Down Dave, the third with Tularosa Kid and had tied Shoemaker when favored El Prado’s Boy won the fifth.

“Any time you can have your name spoken in the same sentence as Bill Shoemaker you’ve done something right,” Baze said after a brief winner’s circle ceremony that included Peter Tunney, the track’s vice president and general manager, and Ray Harris, the jockey’s longtime agent.

“[Shoemaker] has been a target we’ve all aimed for,” Baze told the Daily Racing Form last week. “There’s nothing that I can say about him that hasn’t been said. Everybody knows his genius as a rider.

“I don’t get sentimental or conceited, but it is a special moment.”

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Whilly, the 3-1 third choice, led every step of the way to take the $150,000 San Marcos Stakes at Santa Anita.

Making his first start against older horses, the 4-year-old, Irish-bred son of Sri Pekan held off 3-1 second choice Puppeteer to win by half a length in 2:00.68 for the 1 1/4 miles on turf.

Owned by Paul H., Paul and Christopher Boghossian’s Triple B Farms and trained by Doug O’Neill, the meet’s leader who had one other winner earlier on the card, Whilly has won three of six since arriving in this country. He had won four of seven in Europe.

“I’ve been lucky on this horse,” jockey Felipe Martinez said after his first graded stakes win. “The owners have been really good to us.”

License To Run, the 9-10 favorite, finished fifth in his first start since he finished a close third in the Hollywood Turf Cup in his U.S. debut Dec. 4. He beat only 50-1 shot Gorylla.

“He’s not quite doing everything right yet,” Garrett Gomez said of the favorite. “We’re just kind of figuring him out. I’m going to let [trainer Bobby Frankel] talk to him and see if he can convince him to be a race horse.”

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Savortime, the 17-10 favorite, stalked pacesetter and 3-1 third choice Cologny for most of the way, then easily took control in the final eighth of a mile to win the $100,000 First Lady Handicap at Gulfstream Park.

Owned by Philip Robertson and trained by Steve Asmussen, the 6-year-old Gilded Time mare won for the 10th time in 24 starts, completing the six furlongs in 1:09.21. The margin of victory under jockey John Velazquez was 2 1/2 lengths.

“This is her first graded stakes win,” said Robertson, who is in the construction business in Texas. “She’s been trying for a while to get it and finally got it done.

“[Asmussen] has done a great job with her. As long as she’s doing well, we’re going to keep on racing her.”

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Shadow Cast, the 8-5 second choice, rallied from well off the pace to win the $60,000 Truly Bound Handicap at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

Ridden by Robby Albarado, the 4-year-old Smart Strike filly prevailed by half a length over 6-1 shot Family Business. Owned by Will Farish Jr. and trained by Neil Howard, Shadow Cast ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.09.

Storm’s Darling, the 6-5 favorite who had won her previous three races by a combined 23 1/4 lengths, finished fourth under jockey Eddie Martin Jr.

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Because of extreme weather in the East, racing was canceled at Aqueduct on Saturday as well as today. Other tracks that canceled included Mountaineer, Laurel and Turfway Park.