Glory for In Excess, Farma Way : Horse racing: One wins Woodward Stakes in impressive fashion, the other earns $750,000 for winning series.

In Excess and Farma Way both emerged from Sunday’s Woodward Stakes covered with glory.

In Excess won the race at Belmont Park in a fashion that left little doubt that he is now the best racehorse in America. Jockey Gary Stevens never even had to push him hard as he won by 1 3/4 lengths and covered the 1 1/8 mile in a brilliant 1:46 1/5.

But Farma Way was the big money winner of the day with his second-place finish, which made him the top performer in the new American Championship Racing Series. This 10-race program, which began in January, awarded points to horses for their finishing positions in each, and both Farma Way and Festin had come into the climactic Woodward with 40 each.

Their race-within-a-race was almost as dramatic as the battle for first place, as Farma Way displayed his customary speed and then withstood Festin’s late charge by 1 1/4 lengths. He earned the ACRS’s top prize of $750,000, while Festin’s owners were consoled with $375,0000, in addition to the awards from the Woodward purse.

When Jolie’s Halo popped out of the gate on top, Chris McCarron virtually wrestled Farma Way back off the lead, while the tractable In Excess immediately relaxed for Stevens.

Jolie’s Halo ran the first quarter in a moderate 23 seconds and the half mile in :46 3/5. Assured that there was no suicidal pace, Stevens sent In Excess inside the leader to vie for the lead and left McCarron with a tactical--and ethical--decision.

If he got into a duel with In Excess now, his horse might weaken late and blow the $750,000 ACRS prize. But McCarron didn’t hesitate. “I rode this horse in a way to win the race--not just to beat Festin,” he said. So he moved Farma Way on the outside, abreast of In Excess. Around the turn and into the stretch, the two best older racehorses were head-and-head.

They were accelerating in earnest now, covering the third quarter mile in a remarkable 23 seconds flat, but as fast as they were going, Stevens was sitting almost motionless on In Excess. He hit the one-mile mark in a dazzling 1:33 3/5. In Excess drew away from Farma Way with authority as Festin was finally beginning to make his expected charge on the rail. But because of the slow first half mile, Farma Way still had enough energy left to resist him. Farma Way was the real star of the day. While In Excess had been revved up for this one big effort, Farma Way has been running against tough competition all year, winning five of 11 starts.