BRANDON BLVD, DARLIN’S ANGEL STRONG IN TOMPKINS-GEERS
Saturday, August 1, 2026
Brandon Blvd and Darlin’s Angel were convincing winners in a pair of Tompkins-Geers events on Saturday night (Aug. 1) at The Meadowlands.
The $54,150 Tompkins-Geers for pacing glamour boys presented another sterling mile by Brandon Blvd, the Meadowlands Pace winner and top sophomore star pacing colt of 2026 who stopped the clock to win in 1:47.3.
Driven again by Dexter Dunn, Brandon Blvd sat fourth off the gate as Frantic Hanover pursued the top followed by Sea Bistro Hanover and Ubrute, with the latter rushing forward to take command in a fiery :25.4 first quarter. Ubrute muscled up the backstretch while Brandon Blvd left the pylons to test them all while the half clocked in at :54.1. Ubrute continued with a confident lead, but Brandon Blvd inched nearer under minimal effort as Dunn floated the Andrew Harris-trained millionaire through three-quarters in 1:21.3 to prove his superiority with a sprint to the finish under a hand drive for a 1-1/2-length win. Sea Bistro Hanover got up for second over a late-charging Frantic Hanover as those two passed a tired Ubrute in the final surge to the wire.
“I think his consistency is his most impressive thing,” Andrew Harris said after the race. “He just goes out there and shows up every week; it’s hard to find one like that. I’m just truly blessed to have one like that. We gave him a little bit of extra time [off the Meadowlands Pace] and used this as a prep race for next week, but I was super thrilled with how he came out of the [Pace].” Harris hopes to have the colt ready for next week’s Cane Pace. “With all the talent in that field it is great for racing.”
Punisher 11 Stable owns Brandon Blvd, a son of Downbytheseaside out of the American Ideal dam Alexis Faith. He paid $2.40 to win while pumping his earnings to $1,097,802 after his 12th win in 17 starts over two seasons of racing.
In the $52,500 dash for sophomore pacing fillies, 1-5 favorite Darlin’s Angel led every step for a lifetime-best 1:49.2 win. Driver Lauren Tritton steered the daughter of Captaintreacherous-Darlin’s Delight past Car Keys to lead through a :26.2 first quarter and controlled the pace to a :56 half as the field stayed in line to the final turn. Car Keys drafted behind Darlin’s Angel while the others straggled in the ensuing sprint to three-quarters in 1:23.4. Darlin’s Angel soared with no threats to the finish as Tritton pulled off to win by two lengths over Car Keys with Sunny Station following in third and Fabulous Hanover taking fourth.
“She’s a nice filly,” Lauren Tritton said after the race. “She always gives a hundred percent and Juan [Cano]’s done a great job with her. Obviously she got a nice sectional there today but she was just toying with them today. She actually took off again after the wire so I was really happy with her today.”
Darlin’s Angel, trained by Juan Cano, collected her fourth win from six starts win this season and her eighth from 13 starts in her career. She increased her lifetime bankroll to $192,440 for owner-breeder Hot Lead Farms and paid $2.60 to win.
PHOTO (Credit – Lisa Photo): Brandon Blvd with Dexter Dunn winning the $54,150 Tompkins-Geers for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings