Del Mar stewards grant Baze leave of absence for 'personal matters'

DEL MAR, Calif. – Jockey Tyler Baze, who failed to show at Del Mar for his scheduled mounts on Thursday and did not contact stewards until only one race remained on that day’s card, was granted a leave of absence for what the stewards called “personal matters” after meeting with the stewards Friday afternoon.

The resolution of the meeting is that Baze will not ride at least through Sunday, and he has been fined $1,000 for missing his mounts without calling in at an appropriate time Thursday, stewards said. But stewards said there will be no further sanctions against Baze.

“It’s up to him when he returns,” said steward Luis Jauregui, who with colleagues Grant Baker and Kim Sawyer met with Baze for nearly an hour Friday before the scheduled 4 p.m. Pacific first post.

:: DRF's Del Mar headquarters – Stakes schedule, previews, recaps, past performances, and more

Baze was announced as off Friday’s mounts soon after the meeting ended, around 3 p.m., and he will be taken off his mounts both Saturday and Sunday.

“We met with him and he stated he had some personal matters he needed to attend to,” said Jauregui, who did not elaborate. “He will be fined for missing his mounts. He’s going to take the weekend off.”

Baze was told on Thursday afternoon that he would have to meet with the stewards before being allowed to ride again, and he satisfied that with Friday’s meeting.

Baze was “a no-show” for Thursday’s races, steward Kim Sawyer said after that day’s first race.

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.