Baze sore but not seriously injured after being thrown at Ellis Park
Jockey Tyler Baze was expected back in action this week after having a few days to get over the soreness that resulted from being thrown hard to the ground by his mount, My Mertie, in the first step out of the starting gate in the Groupie Doll at Ellis Park.
Following the Groupie Doll, Baze, 36, rode two races that ended the Sunday card, but his rib cage was hurting so much that he drove himself to the emergency room at a hospital in New Albany, Ind., on his way back to Louisville “just out of precaution,” said his agent, Vic Stauffer.
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“Nothing’s broke,” Stauffer said. “He’s just been a little sore. Luckily he’ll be fine.”
Baze is named on three mounts Thursday at Del Mar; six Friday at Ellis; and one, Escape Clause, in the Lady Jacqueline on Saturday at Thistledown. Riding regularly in Kentucky for the first time this year, he is part of a tight race in the Ellis standings led by James Graham (16 wins), Baze (15), Lanerie (15), and Miguel Mena (13).
◗ The lone allowance on a nine-race card serves as the Friday highlight at Ellis. Eight 3-year-olds and upward will go six furlongs in race 8, a $51,000 first-level allowance in which Straight Shot and Always a Suspect are the program favorites.
First post is the regular 12:50 p.m. Central. The second and final twilight card of the meet, post time 2:50 p.m., is set for next Friday (Aug. 23).
◗ Declan Carroll has enjoyed a terrific summer at Ellis, becoming easily the leading apprentice rider at the meet with nine wins. Carroll, who won his first race last fall at Keeneland, returned to riding in early June at Churchill following a three-month layoff forced by a back injury suffered in a Fair Grounds spill.
Carroll, 20, is the son of David Carroll, the former longtime trainer who now is a top assistant to Mark Casse.
◗ The last two stakes of the 28-day Ellis meet are set for Sunday with twin seven-furlong races for 2-year-olds, the $100,000 Juvenile and $100,000 Debutante. Entries for both are to be drawn Thursday.