Harness: Boyd grinding away at the Meadowlands and beyond

For 23-year-old Braxten Boyd, racing at the Meadowlands on weekends during January and into February comes with a lot of longshots to drive, but that hasn't put a damper on him.

"I'm getting to race against drivers that have more wins during their lifetime than I have drives," Boyd said. "I'm out there every night watching what these guys do and learning."

For Boyd, who has rapidly advanced in the sport in a rather short time, the mile track is a change of pace, but a welcome one.

"To be on the track and watch how these guys handle horses is amazing," said Boyd. "Even just watching how they calm an anxious horse can help me later on."

The results at the Meadowlands thus far this winter haven't been great, but for Boyd driving any horses over the mile track is a big deal, and he knows that although he's driving longshots on most occasions, he still needs to be alert.

"It's not that easy with some of our horses getting in classes that are steep," Boyd said, while referring to a favorite of his that he'll sit behind this weekend. "May Baby is just a great horse to drive. She's all class and tries all the time."

May Baby, a 7-year-old by Guccio, is trained by Boyd's girlfriend Brandy Wine for owner Cheyenne Yoder.

"She's won like $700,000 lifetime," Boyd said of the veteran mare that's won 25 times during a career that started out starring on the Indiana Sires Stakes circuit.

"She's in a little tough," said Boyd of Saturday's $27,500 winners over event at the Meadowlands.

May Baby won against much weaker competition for Boyd on January 12 at the Meadowlands, getting placed first when a rival passed her but broke while lapped on at the wire. Last Friday (January 19) Boyd felt he could have driven her just a little better and had to settle for a fifth-place check.

"We've got to find some classes for her that work out better at Pocono and at Tioga," said Boyd of May Baby, who likely will return to Pocono when the track opens in mid-February. "It's just amazing with her that she's in against boys all the time and just keeps fighting."

Over the last two years Boyd has put up almost identical numbers while racing primarily at Pocono during the season and over at Tioga when they open. In 2022 his mounts earned $3.96 million as he won a record 270 times. Last year Boyd won 251 races and saw his mounts earn $3.78 million.

"Right now, I'm helping Brandy train her horses," said Boyd on a Wednesday morning.

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While unwilling to single out any specific horses, Boyd sounded upbeat about the potential to be racing on the New York Sire Stakes circuit, perhaps with something he has a personal stake in this coming season. That Boyd has made himself a regular at Tioga helps him weave perfectly into the Sire Stakes races, and with his home base just 10 minutes away from Pocono, he can race with minimal travel wear and tear.

"Hopefully I can get to travel to Batavia for the Sire Stakes as well," said Boyd with a positive outlook.

There is certainly plenty to be optimistic about if you're betting on Boyd or his budding career. An obvious quick learner, Boyd seems adept at driving trotters or pacers, and at cutting the mile or coming from off-the-pace. What he's not a big fan of is excessively whipping horses.

"I think you can get more out of the horses by using it less," said Boyd when asked to comment on the subject.

Boyd's mercurial rise is not something he ever expected to see.

"If I had said three years ago that I would be having this type of success, you'd have thought I was crazy," said Boyd, quite aware that the numbers he's garnered over the last few years is a rarity.

On the other hand, Boyd's rise has a lot to do with the company he keeps and the respect he's getting on the racetrack. Unlike many of today's top catch drivers, Boyd's mounts come from a wide array of owners and trainers, with him rarely getting first call and ceding that honor to the more established drivers. Nevertheless, his learning curve has been rather swift and many trainers, including those that have entrusted him with stock at the Meadowlands have benefited from the association.

The wins and purse earnings have helped Boyd put some money back into the sport by investing in young horses, and hopefully down the road he'll get the chance to drive them for big money.

Asked about the highlight of his 2023 season, Boyd said, "I'd have to say winning four races on a Meadowlands card was something special."

Boyd is likely to repeat that feat again and perhaps one day will be more than a winter warrior over the mile track in East Rutherford.