John Baker wins the Iditarod

John Baker

Baker's lead dog, Snickers

NOME, Alaska -- John Baker crossed the finish line first Tuesday in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race to reclaim the title of Iditarod champion for an Alaska Native musher.  He is the first Native musher to win the world's longest sled dog race since  1976.

He won the purse of $50,400, a new truck, and a new cell phone with a year of service from GCI. Exxon Mobile gave floral wreaths to the lead sled dogs, Velvet and Snickers.

An exhausted, calm Baker set a record finish time of 8 days, 19 hrs, 46 mins with Ramey Smith roughly an hour behind.