Columnist Ralph Siraco: Injury halts Baze's run to 400

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday, and his Southern California selections appear Tuesday through Friday. Write to him c/o Las Vegas Sun, 800 S. Valley View Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89107.

Racing will celebrate a holiday feast of activity this Thanksgiving week, and as we move from stuffed turkeys to stuffed malls through the weekend, here are some random thoughts as the sport begins its final thrust into the millennium:

* JOCKEY WATCH: It seems for the past half-dozen years we have been documenting the countdown of another 400-plus win year for jockey Russell Baze. The Northern California rider had amassed at least that many winners per year for most of this decade, but will not achieve that plateau this year. Baze enjoyed an injury-free run through his amazing streak until a spill at Bay Meadows in early October ended any possibility of a repeat. However, as jockeys often do, Baze will return to the saddle earlier than anticipated. Initially, he was expected to miss the rest of this year, but is now planning an early December return to action.

Ironically, the focus of countdown attention this year is on a record of the very man Baze is expected to eclipse someday.

Laffit Pincay Jr. is quickly closing in on the all-time win record in the history of the sport. As of today, the 52-year-young rider is just 13 victories away from equalling Bill Shoemaker's lofty mark of 8,833 lifetime wins.

Pincay cut the lead to a baker's dozen with a victory in the final race Sunday at Hollywood Park. Pincay guided Aly McBear into the winner's circle for snapshot number 8,820 and is certain to soon become the winningest jockey of all time.

In fact, Pincay is riding at such a clip that he holds the Avis spot in the overall jockey standings at the current Inglewood stand. He trails leading rider Pat Valenzuela by just one win after two weeks of the current short fall meeting.

Pincay, who turns 53 on Dec. 29, has indicated he would like to break the milestone at Santa Anita, possibly on his birthday, but said he is not planning on manipulating that outcome. He will continue to ride as many horses as many days as he possibly can and says he'll take the record when it comes and where it comes.

However, he is scheduled to return to his homeland of Panama as that nation honors its native son and plans several days of competition during his stay.

In addition, he will ride in a stakes race at Turf Paradise before the Hollywood Park meeting comes to a close.

Speaking of jockeys, The Jockey's Guild and the Thoroughbred Racing Association have not yet agreed to a new contract for insurance coverage that expires midnight on Dec. 31.

It has become common practice for the racetracks to pay the premium for the riders in exchange for the media rights to use their images. But rising costs to cover the dangerous occupation of jockeys is becoming more difficult for tracks to insure.

The negotiations for the 1995 contract went down to the wire with a settlement struck in the waning hours of December 31. Unlike the current agreement reached in 1997, the '95 accord was reached over bad blood and this year's reluctance to get the deal done leads many to believe it may come down to the wire again.

* POST-BREEDERS' CUP REPORT: Banshee Breeze, the 3-year-old filly champion of 1998, was retired last week. After failing to win the Breeders' Cup Distaff for the second straight year -- while finishing second both years -- her connections reasoned there was no more to prove on the track. Banshee Breeze retires with career earnings of $2,784,798 and a record of 10 victories, five seconds and two thirds in 18 starts ...

Budroyale, the gutty California-bred gelding who finished second in the Breeders' Cup Classic, came out of the race in such great shape that he is kicking down his stall. Trainer Ted West says, "he's crying to do something." Plans call for him to resume racing at Santa Anita with the January 16 San Pasqual Handicap ...

Cat Thief, who beat "Bud" in the Breeders' Cup Classic, worked an uncharacteristic 59 3-5 at Churchill Downs on Sunday. The usual slow-drill runner showed sharpness and may have worked himself into the lineup for Friday's Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs. The Clark, which is as old as the Kentucky Derby, will be renewed for the 125th time and Cat Thief can lobby more Horse of the Year consideration with a victory in the historic handicap race ...

Daylami, winner of the Breeders' Cup Turf, won Horse of the Year honors last week. But, it wasn't the American version. Although many are settling in that camp after his impressive Gulfstream score, the European gray was named the Cartier Horse of the Year in London Wednesday night. Now we'll wait and see if he can capture the Yankee side of the pond in February ...

Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Artax remains on course to rally his Horse of the Year supporters with a start in Saturday's Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. The three-time track record holder at sprint distances this year will try and persuade voters that he is just as potent at a longer trip if he can win the one-turn mile event in the Big Apple. He will race one more season before entering stud at Center Brook Farm near Climax, N.Y.

* KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES: The Japan Racing Association announced a purse increase for next year's Japan Cup from $3.5 million to $5 million, making it the world's second-richest horse race behind only the $6 million Dubai World Cup. The added purse structure vaulted the value of the Japan Cup past the $4 million Breeders' Cup Classic. With the Japan Cup increase and the Dubai World Cup upping the ante twice since its inception, the next move is for a third such raise in the Breeders' Cup Classic.

* MONEY FOR THE HOLIDAY: Race fans have a chance to win some extra holiday shopping money at the Barbary Coast race book. The Coast Resorts popular free Handicapping contests continue at its flagship property this Wednesday. A chance to win the grand is as simple as filling out the entry blank and picking the highest combined mutuel payoffs for the last five races at Hollywood Park. The free $1,000 contests continue on Thursdays through the balance of the Hollywood Park fall meeting.

* EARLY BIRD POST TIMES ON TURKEY DAY: Most tracks conducting Thanksgiving Day racing programs will start their racing cards early on Thursday. Eastern-based tracks will begin as early as 8 a.m. at Aqueduct, Calder and Hoosier. Laurel starts at 8:05 a.m., followed by Churchill Downs and Hawthorne at 8:30 a.m. then Hollywood Park at 11 a.m. and Golden Gate at 11:15 a.m. The traditional opening-day card at historic Fairgrounds in Louisiana will start at 10:30 a.m. in most Las Vegas race books.

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