Golden Gate Fields: Russell Baze rides in his 50,000th career race

Vassar Photography

Russell Baze prior to his 50,000th career ride.

Russell Baze rode the 50,000th Thoroughbred mount of his career at Golden Gate Fields on Friday, dueling for the early lead aboard favored Finish Rich in Nyc before settling for third in the day's sixth race, a $12,500 claimer for 4-year-old fillies.

For Baze, his 50,000th race was pretty routine.

“I’ve got a lot of miles under my belt,” he said.

The 54-year-old Baze opened the day with three straight victories aboard favorites Supercilious in the first, Street Consensus in the second, and Ma Mel in the third.

“I was thinking I’d go right through the whole card,” he joked.

After finishing fourth aboard Run the Blues Away in the fourth, he guided Bi Tomorrow to a runner-up finish in the fifth race.

Baze is North America’s all-time winningest rider with 11,839 victories. He has finished second 8,848 times and third 7264 times, higher totals than any other rider.

He is the first North American rider with 50,000 Thoroughbred mounts. Laffit Pincay Jr., whose record of 9,530 victories was broken originally by Baze, had 48,486 mounts, the second highest total in North American history.

South American jockey Jorge Ricardo is the world’s winningest rider with 11,883 wins.

“I think I’ve got a couple more years left in me,” said Baze. “The skills haven’t seemed to diminish. Right now, I’m having a blast. I have no intention of quitting.”