Baze's planned Thursday return delayed

DEL MAR, Calif. – Jockey Tyler Baze, who was scheduled to return to action Thursday at Del Mar after taking last week off to attend to “personal matters,” was not allowed to ride because a prerace test revealed traces of a medication he was temporarily prescribed for high-blood pressure earlier this week, according to his agent, Jack Carava.

Stewards made the decision about 90 minutes before the day’s first race. Baze rides under an agreement with the California Horse Racing Board that requires him to be tested regularly, and he in fact passed a test last Friday, a day after he failed to show up for his mounts.

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Baze subsequently took the rest of the week off to attend to matters with his family, which the stewards described as “personal matters.”

On Monday, according to Carava, Baze’s blood pressure spiked to an extent that he was treated. “It was going through the roof,” Carava said.

Although Baze only took the medication on Monday, “it hasn’t quite cleared his system, and the stewards said he can’t ride until he’s clean, even if the medication was prescribed by a doctor,” Carava said.

Baze was at the track on Thursday fully expecting to ride. He had three mounts.

Carava said Baze is hoping to ride Friday, and assumes he will if he passes a test prior to Friday’s races.

Baze, 39, has two wins in 67 mounts this summer at Del Mar. He has 2,872 victories during his career, which began more than two decades ago and includes an Eclipse Award as champion apprentice in 2000.