There hasn’t been all that much movement at the top of the 2017 Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown Standardbred Poll for the past few months. Ariana G and Fear The Dragon, who have both assembled world-class seasons this year, had reigned supreme, and for good reason. But there is now a new leader.
The Ron Burke-trained and Yannick Gingras-driven Hannelore Hanover, who has been the dominant force in the aged trotting ranks this season, has vaulted from second to first to sit atop the poll for Week 27.
Hannelore Hanover, pictured victorious at Mohawk with Yannick Gingras (New Image Media)
The five-year-old Swan For All mare, who has beaten the sport’s top aged trotters on multiple occasions this season, last raced this past Saturday in the TVG at the Meadowlands Racetrack. While facing off against a compact field of four mares, the $2.6-million career earner converted a pocket trip and recorded a two-length, 1:52.3 win while racing as the 2-5 chalk.
From 17 starts this season, Hannelore Hanover has won ten races – some of the top stakes the industry has to offer – and has also record five second-place finishes. Her seasonal earnings currently stand at $1.15 million.
In terms of Week 27 of the poll, Hannelore Hanover garnered 14 first-place votes and 319 points overall. Ariana G, who has been the dominant three-year-old filly trotting filly this season, has slipped from first to second in the rankings. She also attracted 14 first-place votes. She attracted 314 overall points, just five shy of Hannelore Hanover.
Manchego, another star female trotter, has rounded out the top three with four first-place votes and 286 overall points.
The results from Week 27 of the poll appear below.
(Rank – Horse [first-place votes] – Total Points – Previous)
1 – Hannelore Hanover (14) – 319 – 2
2 – Ariana G (14) – 314 – 1
3 – Manchego (4) – 286 – 3
4 – Downbytheseaside (1) – 216 – 4
5 – Fear The Dragon (2) – 164 – 5
6 – What The Hill – 154 – 6
7 – Youaremycandygirl – 150 – 8
8 – Emoticon Hanover – 66 – 7
9 – Blazin Britches – 63 – 9
10 – Lost In Time – 49 – 10
Also: Pure Country (32); Agent Q (28); Fourth Dimension (26); Stay Hungry (15); Keystone Velocity (11); Twister Bi (9); Huntsville (8); Plunge Blue Chip (6); Devious Man (3); Crazy Wow (2); Alarm Detector, All Bets Off, Beckhams Z Tam, Filibuster Hanover (1).
The Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll is voted on by harness racing media representatives that cover North American Standardbred racing.
The rankings are based on the votes of harness racing media representatives on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.
The Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll does not determine Horse of the Year. The U.S. Harness Writers Association votes in December on all Dan Patch Award division winners plus Trotter of the Year, Pacer of the Year and Horse of the Year. The Dan Patch Awards are separate from the O'Brien Awards, which recognize Canada's top Standardbreds of a given racing season.