Forgotten leader

One of only two jockeys in the world with more than 10,000 victories is coming to town hoping to produce some sweet music aboard Monterey Jazz in Saturday’s 71st Santa Anita Handicap.

But no one is striking up the band. No festival is planned.

It’s not as if it’s David Beckham.

Russell Baze will fly down from the Bay Area tonight, try to guide the 5-1 shot to victory in the $1-million race the next day, and then quietly return home.

Baze, who turns 50 in August and says he has no plans of retiring in “the foreseeable future,” may be the most famous non-famous jockey ever to be lifted up on a thoroughbred.

On Dec. 1, 2006, he set a North American record with his 9,531st victory, passing Laffit Pincay Jr. On Dec. 10, 1999, Pincay broke Bill Shoemaker’s record of 8,833 wins.

Baze hit the 10,000 mark Feb. 1, joining Brazilian jockey Jorge Ricardo in a very exclusive club.

But compared with riders such as Pincay and Shoemaker, not to mention Gary Stevens, Chris McCarron and Eddie Delahoussaye, Baze operates in relative obscurity.

That’s because he rides in the Bay Area, where horse racing has never enjoyed the marquee value it has in Southern California, New York or Kentucky.

“It doesn’t bother me a whole lot,” Baze said before heading south. “I get to ride some very nice horses up here and I enjoy living here.”

Of Baze, Delahoussaye said: “He’s a great rider who has passion for his profession. He’s never had the opportunity a lot of riders have had at bigger tracks, but he has always felt comfortable where he’s at and has achieved his goals. And he’s a great person on top of that.”

Baze and his wife, Tami, who have three daughters and a son, live in Woodside, Calif.

Born in Vancouver, Canada, Baze grew up in the Seattle area.

He tried to make it in Southern California for four years, 1988 to ‘91, but it was tough getting good mounts. That’s because he was competing with the likes of Pincay, Shoemaker, McCarron, Stevens, Delahoussaye and Kent Desormeaux.

He then returned to Northern California, where he has won 36 riding titles at Bay Meadows and 29 at Golden Gate Fields.

Baze comes from a riding family.

His father, Joe, was a successful jockey, his younger brother Dale was formerly a jockey, his cousin Gary is a Washington (state) Hall of Fame rider and his second cousins, Michael and Tyler Baze, have established themselves in the Southern California colony.

On Saturday, Baze will be competing against Michael, who is riding 15-1 shot Big Booster in the Big ‘Cap.

“We’ve ridden against each other before,” the younger Baze said, “but never in a million-dollar race.”

Russell Baze was the second choice to ride Monterey Jazz. David Flores was originally scheduled as the rider, but opted for Awesome Gem, the 4-1 favorite.

Trainer Craig Dollase said several other jockeys were considered but Baze was chosen because he was aboard when Monterey Jazz won for the first time in his fourth try. The win came in a $30,000 maiden race at Golden Gate Fields on June 9, 2007.

All of Monterey Jazz’s seven races since then have been at Southern California tracks. The 4-year-old son of Thunderello has won his last three races.

He’s coming off a 4 1/2 -length victory over Tiago in the Strub Stakes on Feb. 2.

Monterey Jazz on Saturday will be bidding to become the 11th Strub winner to follow up with a victory in the Big ‘Cap. Others who have done it include Spectacular Bid, Affirmed, Alysheba and Round Table.

In a workout last Saturday at Hollywood Park, Monterey Jazz breezed six furlongs in 1:11.40, the fastest of 16 recorded works at that distance that day.

Afterward, Dollase said, “I’ve got a machine on my hands.”

And Baze said the 14-horse field shouldn’t present a problem because Monterey Jazz is a speed horse and figures to be out in front early with Air Commander.

“We’ll avoid any traffic problems,” he said.

Baze has done well at Santa Anita in the past. He twice won the Oak Tree Invitational there -- with Hawkster in 1999 and Both Ends Burning in 1984. In his last visit to Santa Anita, Nov. 3 during the Oak Tree meet, he rode Bold Chieftain to victory in the $250,000 California Cup Classic and also was aboard Sierra Sunset, winner of the $125,000 Juvenile that day.

And what would a win in the Big ‘Cap mean to Baze?

“Well, there’s no question it would be a feather in my cap,” he said.

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larry.stewart@latimes.com

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Santa Anita Handicap

Grade I race. Ninth race on Saturday’s 11-race card. Approximate post time: 4 p.m. 1 1/4 miles on all-weather track. Four-year-olds and up. Purse: $1,000,000.

*--* P# Horse Jockey Weight Trainer 1. Champs Elysees (GB) Ramon Dominguez 117 Bobby Frankel 2. Tiago Mike Smith 119 John Shirreffs 3. Big Booster Michael Baze 115 Mike Mitchell 4. Medici Code (GB) Martin Pedroza 115 Darrell Vienna 5. Awesome Gem David Flores 117 Craig Dollase 6. Monterey Jazz Russell Baze 119 Craig Dollase 7. Zappa Joel Rosario 114 John Sadler 8. Seminole Native Jose Valdivia Jr. 113 Jorge Gutierrez 9. Celtic Dreamin Alex Solis 115 Rafael Becerra 10. Heatseeker (IRE) Rafael Bejarano 116 Jerry Hollendorfer 11. Student Council Richard Migliore 117 Vladimir Cerin 12. Go Between Garrett Gomez 118 Bill Mott 13. Great Hunter Victor Espinoza 115 Doug O’Neill 14. Air Commander Aaron Gryder 116 Bob Baffert *--*