DEL MAR – For jockey Michael Baze and his horse Charlotta, the race on June 20 of this year was unfolding perfectly. The two sat right off the lead as they rounded the turn at the Hollywood Park racetrack in Inglewood.
Then one step changed the race and Baze's summer.
Right before the jockey could make his move to the front, Charlotta snapped an ankle and toppled to the ground.
“I went over the front, and then another horse that was behind me ended up running me over,” Baze said. “And so I fractured my neck in two spots.”
The neck injury kept Baze sidelined for four weeks, but now he is back and working his way up the jockey standings at Del Mar.
In 2007, Baze was one of the hottest jockeys in Southern California. He won riding titles at Del Mar and Hollywood Park and ranked 18th nationally in purse money earned.
This year, Baze, 21, hasn't had the same type of luck. He finished sixth in the jockey standings at Hollywood Park after his spill prevented him from finishing the track's season.
At Del Mar, despite his success last season, the jockey is finding it difficult to get the best horses because of doubts among owners and trainers surrounding his injury.
The only way for Baze to get the top mounts again is to consistently make it back to the winner's circle.
“You have to come back and start winning, because if you're not people come up with their excuses like 'he's hurt' or 'he's scared,' ” Baze said. “If you come back winning then you take off.”
The problem for Baze is that while he was sidelined, other jockeys impressed trainers and owners and have kept the favored horses. Though Baze, who is well-liked around the stables, has been able to land some top mounts, he is not getting the business he got last season when he was the most sought-after rider at Del Mar.
“It's been a lot more difficult this year than it was last year,” said Baze's agent, Nick Cosato. “The only way back in is to win, and that's what we're trying to do.”
Baze comes from one of the most recognizable families in horse racing. His father, Michael B. Baze, is a former jockey, and his cousin, Russell Baze, is the winningest jockey in North American history. Tyler Baze, another one of Michael's cousins, currently sits in third place in the jockey standings at Del Mar.
Tyler and Michael have developed a friendly competition racing next to each other over the last couple of years.
“It's always nice to have your cousin to race,” Michael Baze said. “Sometimes we'll talk with each other (during the race). If he's dead he'll come out off the rail a little bit and let me through and yell 'Go, Go, Go.' But when we're head-to-head of course I always want to beat him.”
Baze said his main goal is to ride a contender at the Kentucky Derby. He said he's made significant strides toward that goal since signing with his agent a year and a half ago.
This season at Del Mar, Baze hopes to resume getting the top mounts and eventually work his way into the top five of the jockey standings.
Although the task will be difficult, Baze's approach resembles his riding style. He is relaxed and willing to let the horses take him to the top.
Jake Fisher is a Union-Tribune intern: jake.fisher@uniontrib.com
