Plainridge: Thunder Hunter Joe, Caviart Scotland ring the bell in Paul Revere

The Grand Circuit season for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers began on Thursday afternoon at Plainridge Park as the five-eighths-mile oval played host to a pair of $50,000 divisions of the Paul Revere.

In the first grouping Peppermint Man (Mitchell Cushing) and Metal Man (Greg Merton) got into a spirited duel early on, with Metal Man having to work past a wicked 25 3/5 opening quarter to clear to the front. Metal Man maintained command from there through a 54 second half, but Ben Solo (Dexter Dunn) was out and moving from third at that point, and he would take over the top spot on the way to the 1:21 2/5 three-quarters.

After Ben Solo marched into the lead, that left favored Thunder Hunter Joe (Tyler Buter) first-over, and he was under urging on the final bend as Ben Solo appeared to be under confident handling coming into the stretch. Ben Solo still led for most the drive, but Thunder Hunter Joe was able to find something left in reserve and brushed by Ben Solo late in the mile, winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:51 flat. Captain Planet (Josert Fonseca) wound up third after making a brief break past the start.

Nick Devita trains Thunder Hunter Joe, a gelding by Huntsville, for owners Devita Racing Stable Inc., David Hamm, Glenn Phillips, and Christopher Giaccio. Bred by Heather Zitone, Thunder Hunter Joe has a record of 2-3-0 from seven lifetime starts, and he has now earned $83,950. He paid $6.00 to win.

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Caviart Scotland (Fonseca) blasted to the engine from post two in the other section and chopped out fractions of 26 3/5, 54 2/5, and 1:22, with 3-5 favorite Goldin Greatness (Dunn) going on the attack first-up from third as they headed to three-quarters.

Goldin Greatness quickly joined Caviart Scotland after being shown the clear racetrack, but Caviart Scotland was able to counter and quicken on the inside, and once Goldin Greatness began to fade before they entered the lane, it was all Caviart Scotland. He would go on to win the contest by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:50 3/5, lowering the stakes record set earlier by Thunder Hunter Joe and also becoming the fastest sophomore pacing colt ever at Plainridge. Blue Hunter (Shawn Gray) closed well from off-the-pace to get second, and Sheer Terror (Brett Beckwith) grabbed third.

A Nancy Takter trainee, Caviart Scotland is an American Ideal colt owned by Caviart Farms. Out of $2.9 million earner Darlins Delight, Caviart Scotland, who broke his maiden in his fifth attempt and pushed his bankroll to $29,625, was bred by White Birch Farm. Dispatched at odds of 6-1, he returned $15.80 to win.