The absence of the red-hot Blood Money from the top class this week at Exhibition Park Raceway allowed for a less frequent winner in the Winners Over feature on Saturday (June 5).
Four pacers faced the starting gate in the Saturday main event, with the public throwing its support primarily behind rail starter Little Manny (Stephen Trites) and the only horse to defeat Blood Money this year — Woodmere Ideal Art (Robert Laffin). Those two left strongest, with Woodmere Ideal Art doing his best to clear Little Manny through a :28.1 opener but unable to do. Laffin was forced to take a seat in second as Trites and Little Manny grabbed control of the contest. Middle fractions of :57.2 and 1:28.2 gave the advantage to Little Manny with a quarter mile to go, and a :29.1 closer was more than enough to hold Woodmere Ideal Art at bay and trip the timer in 1:57.3.
Trites owns Little Manny, a four-year-old son of Articulator - The Good Wife, along with Dean McLaughlin of Fredericton, Brad McLaughlin of Woodstock and Mark Taylor of Fredericton, N.B. Charlie Miles is once again handling the training duties for the eight-time winner.
Handle for the six-race card reached $4,394, with live harness racing returning on Saturday, June 12.
To view the results from the Saturday card of harness racing in Saint John, click the following link: Saturday Results - Exhibition Park Raceway.