Russell Baze showing why hes the best
 

perfect 7 for 7, and has won 9 consecutive races. The best jockey in America in my eyes

Yeah no doubt that a guy riding a fair circuit has Johnny and Edgar beat bya mile. I'm sure that Baze prefers riding in race with 8 grand purses over races like the Whitney, Travers, Alabama, and Arlington Million. (huge roll of the eyes at one of the dumbest things ever spoken here).

Nevertheless, being a big fish in a small pond has some advantages! When you dominate like he does, you pretty much get all the live mounts and life is good! I watched a lot of jocks dominate at Penn National over the years, except for Robert Colton, none did much anywhere else...I always wondered though, are the "big guys" that much better or is it all about opportunity? That's the reason I rank Julie Krone as the best jockey of all time (I know, I know...lots of folks like to laugh at that)...she never got the big horses, always had to overcome the "good old boy" network and still...she busted male jock's butts time after time winning riding titles on major circuits and even winning some of those "Big Races"!

Baze actually moved his tack to Southern California in the early 1990s, but he only had mild success down here. When he saw that there was no way he could compete with the top guys, he left.

Dominating at Bay Meadows is like a baseball player that does well in the minor leagues. If you do really well in the minor leagues, it shows that you have some ability but it does not mean that you are a star by any means.

Russ is in the Hall-of-fame up in the hallowed halls located in
Saratoga Springs, NY, a track he may never have won at....?
nah, I'm sure he has, but my point is, he's made it into The Hall
via domination in the "minor leagues"
interesting to see his try for DIAZ!

I have no problem with Baze. He has a great thing going in Northern Cali. He gets to go to his home each night and stay in the same city. Why on earth would he go someplace else? Doesnt make sense to me. But you dont win that many races without being somewhat talented. But he is not the best jockey in America.

Russel thought it made sense to go somewhere else. That's why he moved his tack to Southern California back in the early 1990s. He couldn't make it there so he went back home.

He must be doing something right to keep all the business he's had for all these years. The jockey can't do it without support and Russell has gotten it for along time. Ruppert you know how hard it is to break in in SoCal. Thier have been alot that left after a short time. Angel Cordero, Wesley Ward, Rene Douglas, Mike Smith....................alot of very good riders.

Well,I don't think people mean to be raggin' on Baze.The problem is that Seattle made a statement about him that is hard to back up.The man has looked only ordinary when he rides away from Northern California.On the other hand,he doesn't just win in Northern California due to having good horses to ride.He does ride very,very well there.If you have 2 horses coming to the line,that guy is gunna almost always get up to beat you.I have tried it,and it doesn't work(he gets ya.)So,it isn't just that he has the horse.He can be on one of 2 horses of relative equal ability,and his will get up.He is very confident there.I don't see the same when he rides other tracks.He needs the dominant horse to win on other circuits.It is frustrating,because he does have great ability,but I really only see that ability come out in Northern California.

Baze, I like Baze. Good jock that rides dominates alot of fairs.:D

Russel is a very good rider. I'm not knocking him at all. He could probably be in the top 10 or so at practically any track. We were all simply responding to the orginal post that said he's the best in the country. He's a very good jockey but dominating up North does not mean that you can dominate down South.

Russell the Muscle
 

R Baze has dominated No Cal for such a long time winning with Jerry Hollendorfer. He prefers to stay here and go home every night to his family up here and make a nice living.... Hardly travels at all and after So Cal is very happy to keep his tack up here in No Cal. Yes, it is the minor leagues but that said he is a very capable rider who rarely makes any errors.

And yes, he did win at Saratoga last year with LOST IN THE FOG...

PSH

Hollendorfer did the Del Mar handicapping last Saturday
 

BTW, Hollendorfer did the handicapping last Saturday afternoon at Del Mar. A top of the stretch trackside informal talk from 12:30 to 1:15. I saw it in person, though it may have been on TVG, too.

Hollendorfer nailed the $19+ winner of the 2nd race, as well as the 3rd race exacta. I wasn't following his picks all card, but he did cause me to give a 2nd look that allowed me to collect on both of those races.

Fortunately I threw out his advice on the A.P Warrior race, and I had A.P Warrior solidly to win.

It was a really cool talk to listen to.

Andrew Beyer did the same thing on Sunday. The thing I remember most of his talk was his response to which track had the best looking women.....Saratoga or Del Mar?

Beyer, responded, "well if you like 200 pound pale women from Schenectady, you'll love Saratoga."