Winning races is something that Mission Accepted struggled with on the season coming in Saturday’s $25,000 Vincennes Preferred, but he turned in a blowout score in come-from-behind fashion and in doing so got the monkey off his back.
Driver Yannick Gingras was in no hurry with Mission Accepted, who dropped in fourth while Nows The Moment and Mark MacDonald blazed a path to the quarter pole in :25.3. Dexter Dunn rushed to the lead in the backstretch with heavily-favoured JL Cruze, and together they led the group past the half-mile marker in :53.3.
Gingras stepped on the gas pedal going into the final turn with Mission Accepted, who blew right by JL Cruze before breaking the beam at the three-quarter pole in 1:22.4. A :27.4 final frame was more than enough for Mission Accepted to draw away from his foes in a dazzling clocking of 1:50.3. Muscle M Up and Ake Svanstedt were next best, with third place going to Compelling and James Yoder.
Mission Accepted improved his 2020 record to 1-2-0 from seven starts with the win for trainer Ron Burke and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC, Knox Services Inc, David Wills and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. The 18-time winner has banked in excess of $800,000 to date.
The Vincennes is one of many stakes contested on the Hambletonian Day card at The Meadowlands. Read about the rest of the action in the Hambletonian Day News Centre.