The ultra-consistent Woodmere Ideal Art was once again the best in the Winners Over pacing feature on Saturday (June 27) at Exhibition Park Raceway.
A winner in this class with front-end tactics a week ago, driver Robert Laffin employed a different strategy with Woodmere Ideal Art in this week's feature but still ended up where he wanted to be -- in front of the grandstand getting his picture taken when the results were made official.
Leaving from the outside post five, Woodmere Ideal Art was pointed for the lead but faced opposition in the form of Father Ofthe Year (Mike Downey). Father Ofthe Year found the front first and presented Laffin with a dilemma -- drive on and challenge, or drop into the pocket. As Laffin's luck would have it, a spot opened up at the rail and Woodmere Ideal Art took the tuck through fractions of :29 and :59.4.
As Bugger Max (Mark Haig) started a first-over bid heading down the backside, Laffin took his cue to vacate the pocket and right-lined Woodmere Ideal Art in advance of the 1:30.2 third station. Father Ofthe Year and Woodmere Ideal Art paced as tandem around the final turn but in the stretch Woodmere Ideal Art had more left in the tank and he got up to win by a neck over Father Ofthe Year in 1:59.
Trained by Sifroi Melanson for the Ultimate Stable of Greater Lakeburn, N.B., Woodmere Ideal Art (Articulator - Very Ideal Hanover) picked up the 17th win of his career with earnings approaching $61,000.
To view the results from Exhibition Park's Saturday card, click the following link: Saturday Results - Exhibition Park Raceway.