Michael C. Baze
Encyclopedia
Michael Carl Baze was an American Thoroughbred horse racing
jockey
.
He grew up in a family with an extensive history in the sport. His father was a jockey who rode primarily at tracks in the Pacific Northwest
and his uncle Gary Baze
is a member of the Washington Racing Hall of Fame. Baze was also a cousin to jockey Tyler Baze
and to U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
inductee Russell Baze
.
Baze obtained his jockey's license in 2003 and began riding in California
before heading to the east coast of the United States later that year where he met with success at Monmouth Park Racetrack
in New Jersey
. In 2006, he returned to a base in southern California and the following year was his breakout year when he was the leading rider at the Hollywood Park Racetrack spring/summer season and at the Del Mar Racetrack
.
On May 10, 2011, Baze's body was found inside his Cadillac Escalade in the stable area of Churchill Downs
in Louisville, Kentucky
. The next day it was reported that a preliminary autopsy found no natural cause of death and that toxicology test results would not be available for three weeks. It was also reported that Baze was scheduled to appear in court in Louisville on a cocaine possession charge.
On June 3, 2011, deputy Jefferson County
coroner Jim Wesley reported that Michael Baze died of an accidental overdose. Toxicology results in the autopsy found cocaine and the prescription painkiller oxymorphone, also known as opana, in the rider's system. Levels of the drugs were not released. The official cause of death is listed as multiple substance intoxication, which the deputy coroner said is an overdose.
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
.
He grew up in a family with an extensive history in the sport. His father was a jockey who rode primarily at tracks in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
and his uncle Gary Baze
Gary Baze
Gary Baze is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. An inductee of the Washington State Racing Hall of Fame, his Hall of Fame profile says of him: "As much as anything, Baze is respected throughout the industry for his honesty, courtesy, sportsmanship and work ethic."A member of the...
is a member of the Washington Racing Hall of Fame. Baze was also a cousin to jockey Tyler Baze
Tyler Baze
Tyler Baze is an American Champion jockey. Born into a racing family, both of his parents were jockeys as is his uncle, Gary Baze. His second cousin is U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey, Russell Baze....
and to U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
inductee Russell Baze
Russell Baze
Russell Avery Baze is a horse racing jockey. He holds the record for the most race wins in North American horse racing history, and is a member of the United States Racing Hall of Fame....
.
Baze obtained his jockey's license in 2003 and began riding in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
before heading to the east coast of the United States later that year where he met with success at Monmouth Park Racetrack
Monmouth Park Racetrack
Monmouth Park Racetrack is an American race track for thoroughbred horse racing in Oceanport, New Jersey. It is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is operated under a five-year lease as a partnership with Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City.Monmouth Park's marquee event...
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. In 2006, he returned to a base in southern California and the following year was his breakout year when he was the leading rider at the Hollywood Park Racetrack spring/summer season and at the Del Mar Racetrack
Del Mar Racetrack
Del Mar Racetrack is an American Thoroughbred horse racing track at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in the seaside city of Del Mar, California, 20 miles north of San Diego. Operated by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, it is known for the slogan: "Where The Turf Meets The Surf." It was built by a partnership...
.
On May 10, 2011, Baze's body was found inside his Cadillac Escalade in the stable area of Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. The next day it was reported that a preliminary autopsy found no natural cause of death and that toxicology test results would not be available for three weeks. It was also reported that Baze was scheduled to appear in court in Louisville on a cocaine possession charge.
On June 3, 2011, deputy Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 693,604 people, 287,012 households, and 183,113 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 305,835 housing units at an average density of...
coroner Jim Wesley reported that Michael Baze died of an accidental overdose. Toxicology results in the autopsy found cocaine and the prescription painkiller oxymorphone, also known as opana, in the rider's system. Levels of the drugs were not released. The official cause of death is listed as multiple substance intoxication, which the deputy coroner said is an overdose.
Year-end charts
| Chart (2006–present) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2006 | 83 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2007 | 18 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2008 | 40 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2009 | 74 |