Brandon Blvd was one of the fastest two-year-old pacers of last season and he will be making his first start of 2026 in the $100,000 USD Paul Revere Pace (Grade 3) when the Grand Circuit returns to Plainridge Park on Saturday, May 2.
Brandon Blvd (Downbytheseaside-Alexis Faith) was a standout at The Red Mile in Kentucky his entire freshman season, winning three legs of the Kentucky Sire Stakes Championship Series and finishing second by only half a length in the final. He then went on to win divisions of the Bluegrass and International Stallion Stakes in identical 1:49.1 clockings before shipping to Canada for the Breeders Crown.
In his elimination at Woodbine Mohawk Park, Brandon Blvd sat third behind fast early fractions before Dexter Dunn pulled him with live cover heading to three-quarters. When they turned for home, Brandon Blvd pulled away from the field under wraps and won by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:48.4, which was a new track and Canadian record at the time for two-year-old male pacers, besting the 1:49 mark set by Sweet Lou in 2011.
A week later in the final, Brandon Blvd sat second behind the undefeated and eventual 2025 Horse of the Year, Beau Jangles, through quarters of :27, :54 and 1:21.4 before finishing 2-3/4 lengths behind him in the 1:48.3 mile, which lowered the stakes, track and Canadian record for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
Andrew Harris, who trains and co-owns Brandon Blvd with William Pollack and Bruce Areman of Freehold, New Jersey, looked back at the successful season his fast colt had and is very optimistic about his return to the track this year.
“To be honest with you, all his races in Kentucky were outstanding," said Harris. "Then he went to Canada for the Breeders Crown and was phenomenal in the elimination before unfortunately getting a little bit sick before the final. He wasn’t 100 per cent going into that so afterward it made the decision easy to shut him down for the rest of the year. He got quite a bit of time to get over that and grow up.”
A $574,324 yearling purchase at the 2024 Lexington Selected Sale who was bred by Crawford Farms, Brandon Blvd ended the season tied as the fifth fastest (1:48.4) two-year-old pacer of 2025.
Brandon Blvd, a career winner of $538,419, was sent back to Kentucky and wintered at Walco Farms before prepping for this season.
“This year he’s come back perfect," reported Harris. "From the day we brought him back in, he’s just been an amazing horse to sit behind, and I’m just blessed to sit behind him.”
Brandon Blvd has had two qualifiers at The Meadowlands coming into this event. The first, finishing second by a neck in 1:52, with a :25.4 final panel while making up 2-1/2 lengths in the process. And the second was on the front, winning in 1:51.3 and being eased to the line.
“That’s the type of horse he is, you give him a target and he reels it in," said Harris. "And then he was really good on the front and Dexter [Dunn] was shutting him down all the way to the wire and said he was just sitting on him. So I’m pretty confident going into this race. I just went a couple easy trips with him [on Wednesday, April 29] and it seems like he’s going into this in great shape.”
After the Paul Revere, Brandon Blvd is staked to just everything moving forward. Harris said he will have a couple weeks before his next start, which is the Grade 3 Somebeachsomewhere Stakes at Mohawk on Saturday, May 30.
Post time for the first race at Plainridge Park on Saturday is 4 p.m., with the Paul Revere Pace scheduled to go off at 6 p.m. as the seventh race. Brandon Blvd, the 2-1 morning line choice, will start from post six in the seven-horse field with Dunn driving. The complete field is listed below in post position order.
$100,000 USD Paul Revere Pace (Grade 3)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer - Morning Line Odds
1. Zod - Kevin Switzer Jr. - Travis Alexander - 12-1
2. Rocket City Smitty - Jay Randall - Travis Alexander - 25-1
3. Hunt Off The Press - Shawn Gray- Jared Bako - 9-2
4. Hard To Forget - Matthew Athearn - Travis Alexander - 4-1
5. Lastdrivedownmain - Mitchell Cushing - Megan Scran - 9-2
6. Brandon Blvd - Dexter Dunn - Andrew Harris - 2-1
7. Watch Em Win - Nicholas Graffam - Ron Burke - 4-1
The Paul Revere Pace is one of four Grand Circuit events to be held at Plainridge Park this year. It will be followed by the $100,000 USD Battle Of Bunker Hill (Grade 3) for three-year-old trotters on Saturday, May 16, the $300,000 USD Spirit Of Massachusetts Trot (Grade 2) and the $150,000 USD Clara Barton Distaff Pace (Grade 3) on Sunday, July 19, and the $80,000 USD Reynolds Stakes for three-year-old pacers on Monday, Oct. 12.
(With files from Plainridge Park)