Baze, Martin share riding championship at Bay Meadows

Hall of Famer Russell Baze and apprentice Martin Garcia both won two races on

Sunday's closing-day card at Bay Meadows to finish in a dead-heat for leading

jockey honors at 2005-2006 Holiday Meet.

Baze and Garcia both won 47 races during the 31-day season. Baze earned his

victory total from 168 mounts while Garcia achieved his from 153 mounts.

"I wouldn't lose any sleep if I lost, but it's always nice to keep the spot

on the top of the pile," said Baze, who collected his 35th career riding

championship at Bay Meadows.

Garcia earned a share of the title by hustling Sloat Blvd (Lit de Justice) to

a hard-fought victory of Bear Cub (Event of the Year) in the 9TH and final race

of the season.

"I just try to do good," Garcia said. "Whether I win or not, I try to do my

best."

Garcia, a 20-year-old native of Veracruz, Mexico, has only been riding since

August. He literally picked himself up off the turf to claim a piece of the

riding crown as he went down in the 3RD race Sunday when his mount, Rare Request

(Urgent Request [Ire]), disarticulated his right front ankle at the top of the

stretch and fell. Garcia was fortunate to escape injury.

"People told me when something like that happens to stay on the ground and

don't move," he said. "I cleared my mind of it after it happened and just tried

to relax."

Garcia's tremendous success has prompted speculation that he will leave the

Bay Area to ride at the major tracks in Southern California. However, he plans

to ride at Golden Gate Fields when the track opens its 2006 spring meeting

Wednesday.

"I'm not going to move right now," Garcia said. "I'm staying here. I'll know

when it's time to go."

Jerry Hollendorfer extended his streak of consecutive training titles at Bay

Meadows to 32 by saddling 34 winners. Hollendorfer won four of the seven stakes

races at the meet, including the $250,000 El Camino Real Derby (G3) with

Cause to Believe (Maria's Mon).