May Baby, the talented Indiana sired mare from the James and Cheyenne Yoder Stable, polished off the 2021 season with a win in her final race of the year Tuesday, Dec. 28. The mare scored her win against upper conditioned trotters in a time of 1:56.4.
May Baby walks into the winner’s circle for trainer-driver James Yoder during her final race of 2021 at Hollywood Gaming Dayton.
Starting from post three, May Baby got away near the back of the pack as Home ‘N Dry and Josh Sutton set the early tempo in :28.3, :58.1 and 1:27.0. Yoder had May Baby in perfect striking distance, third over heading into the final before moving three wide to get into position for the stretch drive.
In the stretch May Baby hit another gear and trotted home in :29.1 to score the win by a neck at the wire over Home ‘N Dry. Tipsy In Dixie and Tyler Smith finished third. May Baby was the favorite of the field, paying $5.00 for the win.
Owned by Cheyenne Yoder, May Baby completed the 2021 racing season with four wins in 28 starts and earnings just under the $100,000 mark for the season. Overall, she is now 17 of 51 with just under $600,000 in earnings. Her career best time was equaled at Harrah’s Hoosier Park this summer in 1:52.2, the same time she trotted at Harrah’s Hoosier Park as a three-year-old. The four-year-old Guccio mare was bred by Oakwood Farms and was an $8,500 purchase by the Yoders from the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale.
Overall, Guccio has had 404 registered foals with 209 total starters, nine of which started on the pace. His foals have earned more than $7.5 million with 95 getting records under the 2:00 time barrier. He did not have any registered foals in 2021. May Baby was from the next to last full crop. She is the richest of his performers. The quickest is Katkin American from the Verlin Yoder Stable. The gelding has a mark of 1:51.2. He joins May Baby as only one of three horses that have surpassed the $300,000 earnings mark. The other horse over that bankroll mark is Northern Skyway.