Baze gets win number 12,000 in Pleasanton thriller

Russell Baze, North America's all-time leading rider, reached the 12,000-win

plateau in dramatic fashion in the

final race on Sunday's closing-day card at Pleasanton. Baze's archrival on

the overall list, the prolific South American Jorge Ricardo, hit the milestone

in late May.

Baze had started the day with 11,996 career wins. After guiding Alar Sultan

to victory in the 4TH, Skydreamin in the Everett Nevin in the 8TH, and Lookout

Scout in the 9TH, he appeared poised to accomplish the feat with his final mount

on the card, Crown of Aragorn in the 10TH. But when that 7-5 favorite was hooked

in an early duel and wilted to last, Baze's 12,000th would have to wait until

his next rides at Sacramento on Friday. Or so it seemed.

But Baze got a last-minute pick-up mount in the nightcap, Handful of Pearls,

who was originally to be ridden by Dennis Carr. There was more drama in the

build-up to the grand finale of the meet, as Gold Boom got a rider change to

Leslie Mawing. The tension rose further as Invisible Heat broke through the gate

prior to the start and was a late scratch.

When the gate officially opened, the 4-5 Handful of Pearls broke like a shot

and barreled to the lead, while Gold Boom was slow to go. Handful of Pearls sped

through splits of :22 2/5 and :45 2/5 on the fast track, and continued to hold

the clear advantage in midstretch.

The farther they went, however, Handful of Pearls began to grow weary. With

Baze imploring her to hold on, the Bertrando filly kept digging in. But Here It

Tiz arrived on the premises as if to play the role of spoiler, and gained ground

with every stride nearing the wire.

Handful of Pearls and Here It Tiz flashed past the post in unison, and as

track announcer Frank Mirahmadi observed, the result was literally "too close to

call."

After a few minutes, Handful of Pearls was declared the winner, and the

official photo revealed that she lasted by a diminishing nose. Owned by Keith

Hewitt and trained by Andy Mathis, she clocked six furlongs in 1:11 2/5.

Baze graciously thanked the fans for coming out over the course of the

Alameda County Fair, in hopes of witnessing win number 12,000. He was presented

with a gold ring inscribed with that lofty number in honor of his achievement.

From a well-known racing family, the 54-year-old Baze has led the nation in

wins 12 times -- 1992-96, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007-09 and again in 2012. He has

received a number of awards, from a special Eclipse Award in 1995, to a slew of

Isaac Murphy Awards for compiling the highest winning percentage in a season, to

the 2002 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award.

Baze surpassed retired Hall of Famer Laffit Pincay Jr.'s North American

record when notching his 9,531st career win on December 1, 2006, at Bay Meadows.

He registered win number 10,000 on February 1, 2008, at Golden Gate Fields, also

in a photo-finish. On January 25 at Golden Gate, Baze rode his 50,000th mount.

Enshrined in the Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York, since 1999, Baze

was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame last year.

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