Baze wins Murphy again

Russell Baze, the northern California-based jockey who is the second-winningest North American rider in history, will receive the 2005 Isaac Murphy Award, the National Turf Writers Association announced Tuesday.

The Isaac Murphy Award is given annually to the jockey who rides the highest percentage of winners from mounts during the year, with a minimum of 500 mounts. In 2005, Baze won on 375 of 1,246 mounts, for a winning percentage of 30.1.

With the 2005 award, Baze has won the Isaac Murphy nine out of the last 10 years. In 2004, Baze finished second to Ramon Dominguez.

The Isaac Murphy Award is named after a turn-of-the-century African-American jockey who won with 44 percent of his mounts.