Baze looking forward to Japan jockey competition

Russell Baze never expected that doing something he loves would turn him into a world traveler. But on Friday, Baze flies to Japan to represent the United States in this weekend’s World All-Star Jockeys competition at Sapporo Racecourse.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Baze, who also has gone to England and Brazil for similar competitions. “It’s been 25 years since I rode there. It’s always fun to go to different countries and be part of different cultures.”

Baze, 57, will be accompanied by his wife, Tami, and agent, Ray Harris. While there is some sightseeing planned, Baze, ever the competitor, said, “I want to win some races.”

As with Bill Shoemaker and Laffit Pincay Jr., men he surpassed en route to becoming the world’s winningest rider, Baze has become an emissary of racing at home and abroad. It’s a responsibility he doesn’t take lightly.

“I’ve been reading up on all the rules,” he said of Japanese racing.

Baze, who has 12,636 wins in his career, is one of five international riders in the competition, along with Hayley Turner (United Kingdom), Thierry Jarnet (France), Craig Williams (Australia), and Joao Moreira (Hong Kong). They will compete against nine Japanese riders in a series of four races.

Among the Japanese riders is Yutaka Take, who rode briefly at Bay Meadows in 2000.

Baze is on a roll as he heads to Japan. In his final four mounts last Sunday at Golden Gate Fields, he had three wins and a second. He is tied for second with Juan Hernandez in the Golden Gate Fields standings with five wins, one behind Ricardo Gonzalez.

One of Baze’s wins Sunday came aboard the 3-year-old Mystery Strike, who improved her record to 2 for 2 with a 1 3/4-length victory against older fillies and mares in a six-furlong allowance race. A $500,000 Keeneland yearling purchase, Mystery Strike won her debut July 18 at Sacramento. She is trained by Jerry Hollendorfer.

“She’s a very promising prospect,” said Baze. “I don’t think distance will be a problem for her.”

Baze said she’s worked well behind horses, but she’s still figuring things out when it comes to racing.

“She goes when I ask her, and that’s all that really matters,” he said.

Mystery Strike is by Smart Strike, a son of Mr. Prospector who won 6 of 8 starts, including the Grade 1 Philip Iselin at Monmouth. She’s out of the unraced Belong to Me dam Mystery Trip, who is a half-sister of Horse of the Year A.P. Indy and Preakness winner Summer Squall as well as two other stakes winners.