Harrah's Hoosier: Hoosier Champions Night in the books for 2020

James Yoder and Lewayne Miller, both trainer-drivers, each had a pair of wins during Friday's rich Hoosier Champions Night at Harrah's Hoosier Park.

Yoder guided May Baby, a daughter of Guccio owned by his wife Cheyenne, to a 1:52 2/5 win off a pocket trip in the $270,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Super Final for sophomore trotting fillies and also was victorious with Katkin American, a 5-year-old gelding by Guccio in the $70,000 sires stakes final for older male trotters. Katkin American, owned and bred by Brett Boyd Racing Inc., won by open lengths in 1:51 4/5.

"This horse had the freshest legs going into this race," Yoder said of Katkin American. "He is a class act, and I can't say enough good things about him."

"She’s small, but she's got a big heart," Yoder added about May Baby. "I kind of floated her out there to see where she would end up, and it was on Rock Swan's back. She was a little on the right line, so I went on the inside, and it worked out. She is eligible for the Breeders Crown, and if she comes out of this sound, she will be there. My dad won the Breeders Crown a couple years ago (Verlin Yoder, Woodside Charm), so I'm hoping to follow in his footsteps."

As for Lewayne Miller, he showed a deft touch with JK Going West, a JK Endofanera gelding owned by Bill Beachy and David Ferc, in the $270,000 Super Final for rookie colt and gelding pacers, navigating around a breaker on the first turn, then finding room in a tight spot in deep stretch before pouncing on a game What's Your Beef (Trace Tetrick) to win by a quarter of a length in 1:51 2/5. He had a smoother journey with Grand Swan in the $70,000 final for mare trotters as he sat a pocket trip behind Morairtime (Jack Parker Jr.), then out-kicked that rival in the lane to win in 1:53 3/5. A 4-year-old Swan For All mare, Grand Swan is owned by Never 2 Late Stable, Grand Swan Racing, Bruce Soulsby, and Alan Weisenberg.

Grand Swan kicked off a big night for the progeny of Swan For All as his Swift Swanda won the $270,000 Super Final for 2-year-old filly trotters in 1:55 2/5 for driver Trace Tetrick, trainer Erv Miller, and owners Anthony Lombardi and The Kales Company LLC. and his Swan In Motion took the $270,000 Super Final for 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters in 1:53 1/5 with an impressive late rally for driver Ricky Macomber Jr., trainer Jamie Macomber, and owners M & M Racing and Norbert Maza.

"She's a pretty immature, green filly," Erv Miller said regarding Swift Swanda. "She's really growing this year and just like Trace said, she will make a great 3-year-old. Last week, she relaxed a bit more in the turn and went off a bit. In the Kentuckiana (Stallion Management Stake on Sept. 9) she was too far back to get ahead. She's mainly been babied along because of immaturity."

"I always have confidence in this colt," Jamie Macomber said of her champion Swan In Motion. "He has done nothing but make me happy. When he made that break (in the sire stakes on Sept. 10), that was so uncharacteristic. We went above and beyond to get him to the winner's circle tonight. Ricky loves this colt more than anything, so he didn't want to push him through his last qualifier. I promised him he would not run tonight, and that was the most trot he has ever had. If it was up to me, I would put him in the Breeders Crown, but I have to check with the owners on that."

Priceless (Andy Miller), who recently joined Julie Miller's barn, defended her Indiana Sires Stakes title from a season ago in the $270,000 Super Final for sophomore pacing fillies, leading all the way in a 1:49 1/5 mile. Kevin Miller and Bert Hochsprung own Priceless, a daughter of Rockin Image.

Tim Tetrick was also in town for the big card, and he was the winning driver in the 2-year-old filly pace with Somethingbeautiful. A daughter of Always A Virgin, Somethingbeautiful cleared to the lead just after the half and went on to prevail in 1:51 4/5 for trainer Dylan Davis and owners Howard Taylor, Ed Gold, Abe Basen, and Rich Lombardo.

Bridge To Success, a full brother (Jailhouse Jesse-Bridge To Nowhere) to Bridge To Jesse's, who was second to Katkin American, did one spot better in the $270,000 Super Final for rookie male trotters, forging past leader Brookview Bolt (Sam Widger) in deep stretch from first-over to score in 1:54 2/5. John De Long drove the victorious gelding for co-owner/trainer Roger Welch and co-owners William De Long and William P. De Long.

While Widger had to settle for second in that Super Final, he did take the $270,000 dash for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers with Ron Burke-trained Clever Character in 1:49 4/5. Clever Character, who had a first-over journey, took over the lead from a fading Odds On Osiris in the lane, then lasted over a rallying Crook Boyzz (Brandon Bates) to win by a nostril in 1:49 4/5. Burke Racing Stable LLC., Weaver Bruscemi LLC., Frank Baldachino, and Larry Karr own the winner, a gelded son of Tellitlikeitis.

Also winning sire stakes finals for older competitors, worth $76,000 and $50,000, respectively, were 4-year-old gelding pacer Tellmeaboutit in 1:49 2/5 for driver Peter Wrenn, co-owner/trainer Alvin Miller and co-onwer Twila Harts, and 4-year-old Rockin Image mare Rockin Nola in 1:50 1/5 for driver Joey Putnam, trainer Joe Putnam, and owners J P Racing, LLC. and Suttons Bay Racing.

Finishing off the program were three $25,000 Consolation events. MJ's Riggins Rebel annexed the 3-year-old filly pace in 1:52 4/5 for Yoder, breeder/co-owner/trainer Mike Hollenback, and co-owner Jeremy Bybee, Goldie's Legacy won in the 2-year-old colt and gelding pace in 1:53 1/5 for Widger, co-owner/trainer Jeff Cullipher, and co-owner Pollack Racing LLC., and Always And Again took the 3-year-old colt and gelding pace in 1:50 4/5 for Tim Tetrick, Dylan Davis, and owners Andrew Berg and In The Red LLC.

--quotes courtesy of Harrah's Hoosier Park--