Ideal Perception got a clear path to victory lane as catch-driver Samuel Fillion sent the veteran pacer on a successful front-end mission in the $12,500 Preferred Handicap Pace at The Raceway at Western Fair District on Friday, April 17.

With a rough start for the winners of the last two Preferreds towards his outside heading into the first turn, Ideal Perception was able to secure an uncontested lead from post four and went on to set fractions of :28.4, :59.1 and 1:28 en route to the 1:56.1 victory, holding off the late-revving Lamborghini Lou (Austin Sorrie), who kept on coming after a three-wide move on the backstretch. Ys Delight (Mark MacDonell) tracked the runner-up's cover and finished third.

The early action, with last week's winner It Takes Two (Lorne House) breaking stride and causing interference to the previous week's winner Diamond Ryder (Robert Doyle) behind him, was reviewed by the judges with the results upheld and no violations caused by the winner.

Ideal Perception (American Ideal-Southwind Siren) is trained by Anthony Beaton and owner Lisa Lefort of Waterdown, Ont. A runner-up in two of his last three starts in the Preferred, Ideal Perception was the bettors' choice at 2-1 odds and returned $6.10 to win. Now two-for-nine this year, the nine-year-old pacer has pushed his lifetime win count to 42 while his bankroll sits just shy of $490,000.  

Fillion, who drove Ideal Perception for the first time, completed a driving hat trick on the 10-race card.

To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Western Fair Raceway.

(Standardbred Canada)