Have you been to the racetrack lately? Probably not, and if you're not tuned in to the Bay Area's horseracing culture, you may never have heard of Russell Baze. But an excellent New York Times multimedia profile of the jockey with the winningest track record gives an inside look at Baze, "down-on-its-luck" Golden Gate Fields, and the state of racing today.

The story, punctuated with video interludes that give a glimpse into Baze's world, details the career of a jockey who's been a near-sure bet at Golden Gate Fields for over 20 years. The article's author and narrator, Barry Bearak, notes that our track is the "minor leagues" of racing. "San Francisco, for all its other charms, is a horse racing also-ran." And yet Baze, a career racer who's part of three generations of West Coast horsemen, prefers to stay here in relative obscurity. Is he the best jockey out there? It's hard to tell.

"Because Baze has primarily worked in the Bay Area, some horseplayers put a mental asterisk beside his name, likening his record for wins to a baseball home run king given credit for round-trippers in Class AAA. That is a reasonable observation, as Baze would acknowledge. 'I’m not the greatest jockey, and I’ll be the first one to tell you that,” he said.'"

The piece details the insider's world of Golden Gate Fields, from Baze's agent Ray Harris to his appalling number of racing injuries to his straight-edge, weight-conscious lifestyle. The profile gives focus not only to Baze's character, but also to the depressing realities of the track "Where the Bay Comes to Play." From its midcentury heyday, the track is now little more than a betting parlor on weekdays, when only the serious gamblers turn out.

"Baze finds the under-populated grandstands a little depressing. Horse racing used to suffer from a reputation for seediness, he said. But these days, apathy seems to be the problem. The sport is no match for baseball, football and the rest. 'It ought to at least get in front of golf,' Baze said."

Despite the sorry state of attendance, the track is still "a lovely spot, facing the tree-laced hills of Berkeley and Albany, the two cities it straddles. The view is even better over its shoulder, the Golden Gate Bridge itself." A weekend crowd of 5,000 is now considered a good turnout, "and when that many are present, Golden Gate Fields still seems a heart-stirring place."

The track is the only racing venue left since San Mateo's Bay Meadows was demolished, and despite its somewhat seedy feel, it's still great for a fun day out with the horses. So let the Times piece serve as your official reminder that the track's Dollar Days are still among the best deals in town for cheap beer, hot dogs, and entertainment, not to mention a chance to see a world-class jockey at work.

[NYT]