A memorial service for jockey Michael C. Baze will be held at the Morris J. Alhadeff Sales Pavilion adjacent to Emerald Downs at 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 24.

A native of Renton, Baze was found dead May 10 in his SUV near Gate 5 at Churchill Downs, the Lousiville, Ky., track where he had planned to begin riding this week. The Jefferson County coroner’s office is awaiting toxicology tests conducted after an autopsy revealed no cause of death.

Baze, 24, rode 918 winners with purses of $32.4 million, and at age 20 in 2007 became the youngest jockey since the legendary Bill Shoemaker to win the spring/summer riding title at Hollywood Park. Baze also won the 2007 Del Mar riding title. His only visit to Emerald Downs was in 2009 when he finished 11th aboard Trumpet Player Jay in the Longacres Mile.

A memorial ceremony was held in the Winner’s Circle at Churchill Downs last Friday.

Baze’s mother, Teri Gibson, worked several years at Emerald Downs on the track maintenance crew, and she told Daily Racing Form that her son would be cremated in Kentucky with the ashes transported to Washington for the memorial service. Baze’s father, Michael B. Baze, was the leading rider at Longacres in 1978 and now resides in New Mexico.

Michael C. Baze was the latest in a long line of premier riders to emerge from the Baze family tree. His uncle, Gary Baze, was the all-time leading rider at Longacres, while second cousin Russell Baze is Thoroughbred racing’s all-time leading rider with over 11,500 wins. And Tyler Baze, a first cousin, won the 2000 Eclipse Award as outstanding apprentice jockey.