Jockey Baze sidelined by hand injury suffered at Los Alamitos

CYPRESS, Calif. - Veteran jockey Tyler Baze is sidelined after sustaining a hand injury before the third race at Los Alamitos on Saturday afternoon.

Baze said on Sunday morning that he plans to see a specialist on Monday to learn the extent of the injury. The incident occurred when the 2-year-old filly Swift Harmony behaved erratically before a maiden race.

“She was being a 2-year-old that’s never been to Los Al,” he said. “She was being silly. She jammed my hand in the wrong way. She propped a little bit and got me just right.

“It’s something you never expect. I didn’t fall off or anything.”

Swift Harmony finished fourth of six, beaten 6 1/2 lengths. Baze was scheduled to ride the following race, but was unable to after he had difficulty changing silks, he said.

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Baze was booked to ride three races at Los Alamitos on Sunday afternoon.

Through Saturday, Baze had 26 wins this year, well above his total of 16 last year, a season interrupted by an operation to remove his gall bladder.

Earlier this year at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, Baze finished in a tie for eighth in the standings with 16 wins. At the Santa Anita spring meeting that ended on June 16, Baze finished ninth in the standings with 12 wins, including the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks on Sugar Fish on June 8.

Baze, 41, has won 2,923 races in a career that began in 1999. The winner of four Breeders’ Cup races, Baze was the champion apprentice jockey of 2000.

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