May Baby ran her winning streak at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino to three with a 1:53.4 score in a $32,000 Indiana Sires Stakes division for three-year-old trotting fillies, on Wednesday (July 15).
Using her customary front-stepping tactics, May Baby went straight to the front while Hotel Whiskey and John DeLong benefitted from a pocket trip. May Baby strolled through pedestrian fractions of :28.3 and :58 while the rest of the field followed in single file.
After hitting three-quarters in 1:26.2, May Baby trotted away from the rest of the field and amassed a six-length lead turning for home. She used a :27.2 final quarter to finish nearly 10 lengths in front of La Nancio and Jared Finn. Hotel Whiskey and John DeLong rounded out the trifecta. As the heavy 1-9 favourite, May Baby returned $2.10 across the board.
"This year she seems to be a lot healthier and even more sound," noted trainer-driver James Yoder after May Baby's third straight stakes victory. "We had some foot issues with her last year. This year, she has really impressed me in carrying her speed a lot longer."
"If all goes well, her next start will be in the Hambletonian Oaks elimination," he continued. "She will need to be healthy, but it's looking like we're going to take a shot at it."
The daughter of Guccio and Free Wheeling improved her lifetime record to 13-9-1-1 while pushing her lifetime bankroll to $274,240 for owner Cheyenne Yoder. May Baby, who finished fourth in her Breeders Crown elimination as a freshman, was bred by Oakwood Farms.
After playing the bridesmaid to May Baby in her first two starts of the season, Rock Swan stepped out of that role and back into the spotlight with a decisive victory in the opening Sires Stakes division. Also sent off at 1-9, Rock Swan went gate-to-wire to score her first win of the season in 1:54.2 and establish a new lifetime best.
Leaving from post six, Trace Tetrick sent Rock Swan straight to the front through the opening quarter in :27.2. J S Miss Carly and Ricky Macomber Jr. grabbed a pocket seat while Pretzel Party and Sam Widger were third. Rock Swan continued to lead the field through fractions of :56.2 and 1:25.1. Turning for home, Rock Swan separated herself from the rest of the field and coasted to the finish line nearly two lengths in front of J-S Miss Carly. Pretzel Party held on for third.
It was the first win of the season for Rock Swan, a daughter of Swan For All and Jolly Jessica trained by Erv Miller for the partnership of S&R Racing and Anthony Lombardi. Rock Swan pushed her lifetime bankroll to $425,356. The win was also one of seven wins on the 14-race program for Tetrick, who currently leads all drivers for the season with 56 wins.
(Harrah's Hoosier Park)