Plainville, MA – Brandon Blvd (Downbytheseaside-Alexis Faith) was one of the fastest 2-year-old pacers of last season and he will be making his first start of 2026 in the G3 $100,000 Paul Revere Pace when the Grand Circuit returns to Plainridge Park on Saturday (May 2).
Brandon Blvd was a stand-out at The Red Mile in Kentucky his entire freshman season, winning three legs of the Kentucky Sire Stakes and finishing second by only one-half length in the $400,000 final. He then went on to win 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 for 2-year-old pacing colts, 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 was also a new stake, track and Canadian record for 2-year-old pacing colts.
Andrew Harris, who trains and co-owns Brandon Blvd with William Pollack and Bruce Areman, 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. 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% going into that so afterward it (we) 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,” said Harris.
A $425,000 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) and seventh richest ($389,397) 2-year-old pacer of 2025.
Brandon Blvd was sent back to Kentucky and wintered at Walco Farms before prepping for this season.
“This year he’s come back perfect. 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,” said Harris.
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. 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 today (Wednesday, April 29) and it seems like he’s going into this in great shape,” said Harris.
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 G3 Somebeachsomewhere Stake at Woodbine Mohawk Park 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.
The $100,000 Paul Revere Pace is one of four Grand Circuit events to be held at Plainridge Park this year. It will be followed by the G3 $100,000 Battle Of Bunker Hill 3-year-old trot on Saturday, May 16, the G2 $300,000 Spirit Of Massachusetts Trot and the G3 $150,000 Clara Barton Distaff Pace on Sunday, July 19 and the $80,000 Reynolds Stake for 3-year-old pacers on Monday, Oct. 12.
(Photo of Brandon Blvd courtesy of New Image Media)