Golden Gate Fields

Russell Baze has 11,932 victories going into Thursday’s Golden Gate Fields card. At his current rate, he should reach 12,000 during the Sonoma County Fair at Santa Rosa shortly before his 55th birthday on Aug. 7.

A memorial service for longtime Northern California trainer Ike Orr will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday in the Top of the Stretch room at Golden Gate Fields.

Whether life imitates art or the other way around really does not matter, not when the story hits home as a tale imbued with the assuring touch of truth.