Revenue Agent raced like a tenacious tax collector on Monday afternoon to capture the $15,000 Open Trot at Hollywood Dayton Raceway.
Driver Peter Wrenn asked the eight-year-old gelding to leave the gate alertly, which he did, promptly grabbing the early lead before yielding just before the :27.2 first quarter to eventual runner-up Insomniac (Brady Galliers). Benefitting from a pocket trip through middle fractions of :55.4 and 1:24.2, Revenue Agent was fortunate to find racing room hugging the pylons in the stretch as Insomniac drifted just far enough to allow him clearance to the finish line.
The 1:54.2 clocking was just a fifth of a second off the gelded son of Revenue S’s lifetime best, taken four years ago at Hoosier Park. Parkhill Lancelot (Randy Tharps) was at the back of the field at the halfway point, but finished well to garner the show dough.
Trainer Jeff Miller co-owns Revenue Agent with Michael Creps. The winner’s lifetime bounty grew to $269,490 with his 23 triumph from 72 career starts.
Mutuel backers of Revenue Agent were rewarded with a $17.80 return on each $2 win ticket.
Oddly, it was the third straight race to open the matinee program in which a 7-1 shot reached the wire first.
Hard Cold Cash (Dan Noble) captured the opener in 1:56.2 to return $17.20; while Grandpaslildragon gave driver Cameron McCown his first commercial track victory in 1:57 in the second, paying $16.00 even.
(Hollywood Dayton Raceway)