Baze captures 400th win of year

ALBANY, Calif. - Jockey Russell Baze reached the 400-win total for the 10th time in 11 years when he won Thursday's first race at Golden Gate Fields aboard Rough R.N. in a six-furlong $25,000 maiden claiming race for fillies and mares.

Rough R.N., who was making her debut, won the race by 7.5 lengths over favored Ten Ten Twenty.

Baze reached the 400 mark for the first time in 1992. He has reached it every year since except for 1999 when he recorded 373 victories after missing more than a month due to back injuries.

No other jockey has won 400 races in a year more than three times.

"It's just another day at the office, but it's getting off to a pretty good start," Baze said after the victory.

"I did it a little earlier this year than I have been, but I've had a lot of good horses."

Baze scored his 400th win on Nov. 19 when he recorded 448 victories in 1995.

Among Baze's 400 wins this year was the 8,000th of his career as he joined Laffit Pincay Jr., Bill Shoemaker and Pat Day as the only riders with that many victories.

"I'll ponder all those things when I quit riding," said Baze when asked about reaching the 400 milestone again. "Right now, I'm too busy thinking about the next race."