Russell Baze has become the only second jockey to ride 10,000 winners. Baze, 49, won Friday’s third race at Golden Gate Fields in California to reach that plateau.

Russell Baze’s mount, Two Step Cat was in a three-way photo and there was a five-minute wait. The photo revealed Two Step Cat had won by a nose over Brite Oakie with Unusual Men another nose away. It was a mile race for $4,000 claimers. A race for $4,000 claimers is a ‘B’ class race in India.

“This is a milestone but not the final milestone,” Baze exulted. “I did not think I won.”

Winning trainer Armando Lage was thrilled. “That’s the one thing about Russell; he’ll ride a $4,000 claimer as good as he rides a stakes horse. That is one reason he has won so many races.”

Jorge Ricardo is the other jockey to have ridden 10,000 winners. Ricardo reached the landmark on January 9.

In August, Baze goes to Ascot for an international jockey competition. Ricardo is likely to join.

Russell Baze has been the leading rider in America nine times. Eleven times in his career, Baze has ridden 400 winners or more in a year. He rode 399 winners in 2007. No rider has reached the 400-mark more than three times.

The Donn Handicap, a Grade I event with a $500,000 purse, was run at Gulfstream Park in Florida on Saturday. The Donn Handicap, in recent years, has been used as the springboard by many horses to earn ‘horse of the year’ honours. Spring At Last, trained by Doug O’Neill, came away victorious. A Silver Deputy colt, Spring At Last, ridden by Eibar Coa, won the 1,800-metre dirt race in 1 48.25 seconds. The winning dividend was $14.00 on a $2.00 ticket.

A P Arrow took the runner-up berth. Kiss The Kid ran third. The 10 to 6 on favourite, Daaher finished seventh of eight runners. Daaher had the beating of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion, Midnight Lute in January.

Eibar Coa showered praise on his mount. “He broke perfect. I was a little worried because he was a little sharp at the start. He was about half a length too close but then he came back to me.”

Trainer O’Neill spoke about Spring At Last’s immediate future. “Coa rode him brilliantly and took advantage of a good post (draw). We will talk with the owners. I strongly feel we will head to Dubai for the World Cup.”

At Santa Anita on Saturday, Crown of Thorns scored a two and one half length win in the Grade I $200,000 Robert B Lewis Stakes. The winning trainer was Richard Mandella. Five ran in the 1,700-metre dirt race. The winning time was 1 40.76 second. The return was $5.40. Crown of Thorns is a Repent colt. Repent won the 2002 Louisiana Derby. Crown of Thorns now moves into the Kentucky Derby mix. Trainer Mandella has three candidates for the Derby. The other two are Into Mischief and Dixie Chatter.

Victor Espinoza, the winning jockey, was ecstatic: “This horse does everything right. There was a little opening and we got lucky and got through. I did not want to use him early. When he made the lead, I sat still on him. He is getting better every start. He can win on the lead too.”

Richard Mandella said, “This was pretty convincing. He may race next in the Sham Stakes on March 1 with the Santa Anita Derby (April 15) in our sights.”

Also on Saturday at Santa Anita, Monterey Jazz won the Grade II $300,000 Strub Stakes. It was a win from the word ‘Go.’ The race was on the cushion track and Monterey Jazz clocked 1 45.65 seconds for the 1,800-metre journey. David Flores was the winning rider. Tiago was second and Monzante took third among eight runners.

Winning trainer Craig Dollase stated, “The Santa Anita Handicap on March 1 is a target.”

The Santa Anita Handicap carries a purse of one million dollars and is over 2,000 metres.

Eaton’s Gift won the Swale, a Grade II race with a $150,000 purse. This race was run at Gulfstream Park. Seven ran.

The Kentucky Derby is three months away and in the weeks to come, several high-profile races for three year-olds, will be contested. The Florida Derby is one of the early pointers. The Kentucky Derby is traditionally run on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky.

The Epsom Derby is four months away. Run on Wednesdays for a long time, the Epsom Derby switched to Saturdays not long ago. The British flat season gets under way in earnest in the last week of March.

The French Derby is run the day after the Epsom Derby. Also called the ‘Prix du Jockey Club,’ the French Derby is the high point in Chantilly’s racing calendar.

The Irish Derby at the Curragh follows. It is in the last week of June. It is a three day festival at the Curragh.

Sources: NTRA and others