The 2019 season hasn’t been a year to brag about for the classy veteran pacer Missile J, but on Saturday his back class prevailed in Hollywood Dayton Raceway’s $16,500 Open Pace.

The six-year-old son of American Ideal won for just the third time in 18 seasonal starts—earning $48,955—but the 1:51.2 score was his 26th in his career and boosted his lifetime bounty to $831,902.

Dispatched at 10-1 odds, Missile J (Jeremy Smith) was content to get away fourth from the rail until launching a first-over attack just after the halfway juncture. After lapping in on the odds-on favourite, Tookadiveoffdipper (Brett Miller), at the three-quarter mile marker, the winner tacked on a :27.1 final panel to sail to victory by a length and a half. Tookadiveoffdipper did hang in for the place finish while Fools Desire (Kayne Kauffman) took advantage of a pocket ride to garner the show dough.

Walter Haynes, Jr. trains Missile J for the Indiana partnership of Jeff Fought, Brian Carsey, Dave Fought and Chris Myers.

“Missile J is a funny horse,” explained Haynes following the race. “You have to keep his attention or he’ll take off galloping, but when you keep his mind on business he is wicked fast!”

(Hollywood Dayton Raceway)