Jockey Found Dead in Car Faced Cocaine Charges

With the horse racing world still reeling from thee, new reports are emerging that the 24-year-old jockey had been recently depressed and was scheduled to appear in court on a cocaine charge.

Baze was found dead in his vehicle Tuesday at 4:47 p.m. EDT near the horse track area of Churchill Downs, according to Jefferson County Deputy Coroner Jim Wesley.

According to reports, there were no signs of foul play, although an investigation is currently underway.

Court reports indicate that Baze was scheduled for a preliminary hearing after being charged with first-degree possession of cocaine in November. Baze was in Louisville, Ky. to race in the eighth race at Churchill Downs on Thursday on the overnight entries.

The Jefferson County coroner’s is currently conducting an autopsy.

According to horse racing insiders, the Baze name is well-known. Churchill Downs spokesperson John Asher said Baze comes from a family of horse jockeys – Baze’s second cousin was Hall of Fame jockey Russell Baze, and his uncle was a retired jockey. Baze had been riding since he was 16, and was the leading rider at Arlington Park last year, the Associated Press reported.

Baze, a Washington native, began his riding career as a 16-year-old when his cousin Tyler Baze, also a well-known jockey in the southern California circuit, encouraged him to try the sport. At 5-foot-4, 110 pounds, Baze seemed perfect for the family business.

As a 20-year-old, Baze won the spring-summer meet at Hollywood, becoming the youngest to win the title since 1950.

In 2007, Baze moved to Glendora, Calif. to be closer to the southern California circuit. For a brief time, Baze’s wife, Kelly, had been a member of Oak Canyon Riding Club in Glendora.

Baze left California to train in Chicago last year, winning the Arlington Park title.

In 2008, Baze suffered a nasty spill that fractured his nose, a bone in his neck and required a plate inserted under his eye-socket.

Baze’s most recent notable win was when he rode Nehro to a win Feb. 21 at Oaklawn.

Baze’s riding record includes 238 mounts this year with 34 wins, 41 second places and 38 third places, and his mounts earned nearly $1.2 million, according to Asher. He had 6,969 career starts with 918 wins with mounts earning $32 million. Despite initial reports, Baze never rode Nehro at the Kentucky Derby.

According to reports, friends and acquaintances said Baze had been depressed over a separation with his wife.

Peter Artieda, a close friend and best man at Baze’s wedding, said he never noticed anything strange about Baze’s behavior.

"I couldn't sense anything," he told the Associated Press. "Honestly, to me, he never said or showed any stresses."

Baze’s uncle three-time Kentucky Derby winner Gary Stevens told the Associated Press that he was shocked over his nephew’s death.

"To me, he was one of the premier riders in the country as far as me watching every day. And there's no bias there; the kid could just flat ride," Stevens told the Associated Press. "I think he was just starting to get the notoriety and the respect from the horseman."