For Braxten Boyd the idea of driving harness horses for a living has been with him for a long time. The Michigan native and third generation horseman turned 23 years of age in March and has already found his way onto one of harness racing's biggest stages. On Monday (April 24), Boyd gets the opportunity to drive a contender in the $328,200 Blue Chip Matchmaker Series final at Yonkers Raceway. "I've been wanting to drive horses since Kindergarten," Boyd said. "I've been around horses all of my life." Still, at such a young age, it's quite incredible to see how quickly Boyd has picked up the game and taken advantage of every opportunity that has come to him. "From the start when I was driving at Cal Expo and Running Aces it was my hope to come out East," Boyd said, trying to explain the route that he would inevitably take that allowed him to find footing in the Northeast. Ultimately, as in most journeys, what allows a person to advance is talent and the ability to convey that upon those who need your services. In Boyd's case it was a venture to Pompano Park in the winter of 2020 that would prove a vital stepping-stone along the way. "I was driving at Pompano and not getting many drives," Boyd said, recalling the experience. "Then, in the spring [2021] when David Miller left to go north, all of a sudden the drives started coming and things started happening." As is the case in almost all catch-drivers lives, it is generally when a regular can't make it to the track that a "substitute" gets the opportunity to show what he/she can do. In Boyd's case the additional work led to additional wins, afforded him the opportunity to showcase his talent, and ultimately get other trainers to put him down to drive. "I'm so grateful to Marc Major and Mike Deters [two veteran Pompano trainers] for giving me the opportunity," Boyd said, fully recognizing those extra drives he found at Pompano were a significant element in his career progress and allowed him to move further north when Pompano's season came to an end. "A lot of the horsemen were suggesting that I go to Tioga," said Boyd in explaining how his move coincided with the assurance that there would be ample driving opportunities ahead. As with any budding driving star in this sport, you must be in the game with regularity, not just to produce but to sharpen your skills. There's only so much that can be learned from watching others on the track. In 2021 Boyd's stock rose considerably, with his mounts earning an impressive $1.8 million. Of more importance was the number of opportunities afforded him. In 2020 he won 48 of 433 races with the total earnings for his horses just a shade over $300,000. He won 244 times in 2021, nearly six times greater than the previous season. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Boyd had to travel to get work during that year but didn't mind moving around to Batavia, Monticello and Pocono when the chance of picking up one or more drives existed. The strategy was obviously to keep moving and keep searching. "I really didn't have a plan," said Boyd. That was perhaps a smart thing for Boyd because plans can limit progress at times and in this sport, especially for catch-drivers, you need be flexible. Otherwise, the same type of drives you can pick up can be lost to the next rising star. After a stint at Harrah's Hoosier Park in late 2021, Boyd would return to Pompano for its final season, but ultimately there would be far greater opportunity when coming north. He had already laid the foundation with a few stops at Pocono in 2021, and in 2022 he returned with horsemen knowing his name and putting it down on the day of entry. Boyd drove in over 500 more races in 2022 than he did the previous year and only found the winner's circle 26 more times. That was just part of the story as his mounts earned nearly $4 million for the trainers and owners. That the wins didn't pile up is easy to understand. No driver can move into tougher waters and simply displace all the regulars that came before him. In Boyd's case the move to Pocono in 2022 also coincided with a mission to drive the half-mile track at Yonkers. Moving from the Tioga Downs driving colony to Pocono and Yonkers would be a major part of Boyd's advancement. What's impressive is just how well he fit in and how the number of drives grew. Both tracks have a long list of regulars that get the top mounts, not just when they drive locally but many times on the Grand Circuit. For Boyd to race against the best and have success was astonishing. There's one thing I've witnessed about Boyd is the sense of calm he exudes behind both trotter and pacer. Not getting shaken, no matter what's going on within a race, is vital to improving the chances for success. Perhaps another more nuanced ability he's shown is a willingness to go up without cover on occasion. "I don't have a problem pulling the three-hole," said Boyd, fully recognizing that many others in current times figure that strategy as unconventional. "I try to wait until the opportunity is right." Boyd recognizes in order to compete at the current level and beyond it is vital to know the horses and the drivers, and he recognizes the need to be prepared heading into each race. "I study the program and try to figure out how the race will play out," said Boyd. "It's important to know as much as you can." Still, the driver recognizes that regardless of preparedness there are unknowns that can happen within a race that no driver can pre-plan. "I try not to over-think it during the races," said Boyd, "Sometimes you have to react to the situation." For Boyd, Monday represents the first of what likely will be many situations where his talent will be on display on the big stage. With the interview taking place prior to the Blue Chip Matchmaker draw, Boyd didn't wish to get too excited. "We'll see what happens at four o'clock," Boyd said of his chances. When the pills had been drawn, Boyd had to be encouraged. "I think if she draws inside, we'll have a good chance," Boyd said. That Lucky Artist A drew post four for the final was perhaps good news, although that puts her outside three bona fide stars in Amazing Dream N (post one), Racine Bell (post two) and Dougs Babe A (post three). It appears that the rise of Boyd and Lucky Artist A have happened concurrently. "Ricky [Bucci] put me down to drive her in a $75,000 claimer in October," Boyd said. He finished second behind her in their first trip together and then won the following week. Since then, the pair have earned $180K and perhaps are in line for a big check on Monday to add to that total. Fortunately for Boyd, Lucky Artist A is just one of the many talented horses he's been getting to drive recently. In the Weiss Series events at Pocono he's had some victories with a few untested 3-year-olds. "I just love driving young horses," Boyd said with some exuberance. He prefers driving trotters over pacers and hopes that he'll have another big-money opportunity in the John Brennan Series at Yonkers with Hoolie N Hector, a 5-year-old he's driving for trainer Andrew Adamczyk that Boyd has already guided to four wins at Yonkers this year. Braxten Boyd has made impressive strides to be where he is today in the harness racing universe. With bigger races, under pressure, driving true contenders, it will be interesting to see how high he can rise in the years ahead.