Brandon Blvd delivered a statement performance ahead of the Pepsi North America Cup eliminations by winning the Grade 3 Somebeachsomewhere Stakes in a stakes record on Saturday, May 30 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The Andrew Harris-trained Brandon Blvd and driver Jason Bartlett posted a time of 1:48.1 to win the $140,500 Somebeachsomewhere for three-year-old pacers. The clocking bested the previous mark of 1:48.2 set by Bulldog Hanover in 2021.
No Waitlist (Doug McNair) blasted to the lead early, while Sweet Lovin Lou (James MacDonald) also hustled forward but had to settle for the two-hole with Brandon Blvd right in behind third. After a :26 opener, Brandon Blvd swept to the lead and hit the half in :54.3. Brandon Blvd then paced a :26.4 third panel in effortless fashion, posting a three-quarter time of 1:21.2, and the son of Downbytheseaside-Alexis Faith closed things out with another :26.4 clip to win by 2-1/4 lengths. Sweet Lovin Lou angled out in the lane and got up for second over No Waitlist. All 10 starters are eligible to the Pepsi North America Cup.
“I asked on him a little bit at the head of the lane and he just took off…the last three or four pylons he was just shut down and I actually thought I was going a 1:47 clip,” said Bartlett, who was subbing in for regular driver Dexter Dunn. “What a great horse, professional, leaving out of there and putting people where we need to put them and then re-moving him. Just a professional.”
Brandon Blvd was making his second start of the season, following up a victory in the Grade 3 Paul Revere Pace at Plainridge Park on May 2.
“The schedule gets so busy that you want to try and bring them in easy,” said Harris. “These horses really only race about 13, 14, 15 times a year and you got to have them ready for the right starts.”
Brandon Blvd is owned by Punisher 11 Stable LLC of Freehold, N.J. and now has nine wins in 12 career starts. His latest graded stakes win takes his career earnings to $676,237.
The next step for Brandon Blvd is the Pepsi North America Cup, and Harris is ready to see what will happen.
“We’re just going to sit here and do what we do on the track," he said. "Beau Jangles is amazing, Odds On Mr Mamba is amazing, there’s a few other horses that are amazing. Let them do all the talking and nobody has to talk about us, and we’ll just show up on race day and see what happens.”
Brandon Blvd paid $2.40 to win.
The Graduate Series for four-year-olds started on the Saturday card, with Ayeaye Captain Deo and Monserrate drawing first blood. Both the Graduate Pace and Trot had one division going for a purse of $101,250.
Ayeaye Captain Deo, driven by Bob McClure, capitalized on a wicked front-end battle to sweep up for a career-best 1:47.3 victory in the Graduate Series Pace.
All eyes were on Bruno No No No (Doug McNair) and Prince Hal Hanover (Todd McCarthy), as both have turned heads to start their four-year-old seasons. ‘Prince Hal’ got away third, while ‘Bruno’ started fourth in a :26 first panel with Ayeaye Captain Deo seventh. The favoured duo both made moves entering the backstretch, with ‘Prince Hal’ touching down on the lead just prior to a :54.1 half. McCarthy had a decision to make with ‘Prince Hal’ as ‘Bruno’ and McNair moved right up beside them, and the call was a final-turn throwdown in which the pacers went toe-to-toe for a :26.2 split to hit three-quarters in 1:20.3.
Prince Hal Hanover turned away Bruno No No No for the stretch drive, but didn’t have much left in the tank. Sugar Man (Louis-Philippe Roy) attacked from the pocket, and the backfield got into play, as Fifth And Five (James MacDonald), sixth at three-quarters, and Ayeaye Captain Deo, sitting eighth, started storming on the outside. Both came surging in the lane to go by rivals, with Ayeaye Captain Deo delivering the most on the end to win by 1-3/4 lengths. Fifth And Five was second, and Prince Hal Hanover hung in tough to finish third.
Trained by Garry Merner, Ayeaye Captain Deo entered Saturday’s contest with two wins in five starts on the season. The son of Captaintreacherous-Oceania is owned by Gino Toscani of Mount Hope, Ont. The Graduate Series leg win, his 10th overall in 33 career outings, moved the stallion’s career earnings to $410,267. With the bulk of the money coming in on Prince Hal Hanover and Bruno No No No, Ayeaye Captain Deo went off at 25-1 to pay $52 to win.
On the trot, Monserrate got room up the rail late to win the Graduate Series opening leg in 1:52, giving driver Bartlett and trainer Harris a second stakes win on the program.
Leaving from post six in an overflow field of 11, Monserrate was a parked-out third at the opening quarter, with Hey Porter (Todd McCarthy) leading the group to that point in :27. Six horses were along the rail and five on the outside coming out of the first turn.
Monserrate marched up to the lead in the second split before allowing Mr Mouton (James MacDonald) to clear just after a :55.2 half. Mr Walner Fashion (Scott Young) was left first-up and pressed at Mr Mouton’s wheel to three-quarters in 1:23.3. In the stretch, Mr Mouton did his best to fight off the outside challengers but couldn’t keep the rail shut, tiring late and opening up enough room for Monserrate to shoot through for the victory by 1-1/2 lengths. Hey Porter finished third.
Monserrate was entering off a bounce-back 1:51.4 score at The Meadowlands on May 15 after breaking stride in two Kentucky Sire Stakes events to begin the year. The Harris-trained son of Chapter Seven-Guinevere Hall has now won two of four starts this season and is a seven-time winner from 32 career starts. Owned by Punisher 11 Stable LLC, Monserrate has earned $755,225 lifetime. He paid $4.40 to win.
The Graduate Series now shifts to The Meadowlands for the next leg on June 12.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Woodbine)