Dayton, OH — Mission Accepted (Chris Page) worked hard to gain the front in Thursday’s (Sept. 30) $25,000 Open Handicap Trot at Hollywood Dayton Raceway, then held off a barrage of opponents down the stretch to win in 1:53.

Mission Accepted continued his stellar 6-year-old season with a gallant 1:53 win Thursday at Hollywood Dayton Raceway. Conrad photo.

The son of Manofmanymissions, slated for stud duty in early 2022 at Sugar Valley Farms in Delaware, Ohio, overcame a nine-hole assignment to garner command after a :27.1 opening quarter. Following middle fractions of :56 and 1:24, the 6-year-old faced challenges from everywhere — but refused to let any of his adversaries get by him. Refined (Mitch Cushing) and Pass The Vape (Trevor Smith) had the winner surrounded in the final strides, but came up a neck short.

It was the 33rd lifetime victory for Mission Accepted — 13 of them coming this season — from just 87 career tries. Following a stellar juvenile career under the tutelage of trainer Jeff Conger, he was placed in the Ron Burke barn, where he has resided for the last three years. He took a mark of 1:50.2 at The Meadowlands as a 4-year-old and has banked $1,124,892 to date in his five years on tracks throughout the Midwest and East Coast.

Racing resumes Friday at Hollywood Dayton with a 14-race program slated to begin at the usual 4 p.m. post time.

On Saturday night (Oct. 2), the track will present its marquee events, the Dayton Derbies, with a special 6 p.m. start. In addition to the trio of $175,000 races for the sport’s finest veteran male pacers, female pacers and trotters, eight $75,000 Ohio Sires Stakes consolations will also be presented. Derby favorites are Lyons Sentinel, Forbidden Trade and This Is The Plan, but they’ll have plenty of competition. In all, the three fields have over 500 wins and have earned about $25 million. Hall Of Fame drivers David Miller, Tim Tetrick and Yannick Gingras will be on hand, as well as reigning Driver of the Year Dexter Dunn.