The second installment of the 2018 Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown Standardbred Poll has been released, and the current matriarch of the aged trotting ranks is still looking down on her rivals.
Hannelore Hanover, the 2017 Horse of the Year on both sides of the border, has garnered 17 first-place votes and leads this week’s poll with 300 points.
Hannelore Hanover, pictured victorious at Mohawk with Yannick Gingras (New Image Media)
The Ron Burke-trained and Yannick Gingras-driven Hannelore Hanover is two-for-two thus far in 2018. She last raced in a Great Northeast dash on Sunday, May 27) at Harrah’s Philadelphia. ‘Hannelore’ was sharp off a 22-day layoff, as she started from Post 4, cut all the fractions (:28, :57, 1:25) and kicked home in :27.2 for a three-length victory in 1:52.2.
Hannelore Hanover is in to go for her third pari-mutuel test of 2018, as she is scheduled to contest the Armbro Flight eliminations this Friday (June 8) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The results from Week 2 of the poll appear below.
(Rank – Horse [first-place votes] – Total Points – Previous)
1 – Hannelore Hanover (17) – 300 – 1
2 – Shartin N (7) – 286 – 2
3 – Filibuster Hanover (5) – 271 – 3
4 – Will Take Charge (2) – 187 – 4
5 – Atlanta (2) – 177 – 6
6 – Bit Of A Legend N – 115 – N/A
7 – Keystone Velocity (1) – 100 – 5
8 – Manchego (1) – 99 – 8
9 – Lather Up – 71 – N/A
10 – Rockin Ron – 67 – 7
Also: Ariana G (50); Trump Nation (38); Six Pack (27); Marion Marauder (16), Dorsoduro Hanover (14); Jimmy Freight, Mach It So (11); Courtly Choice, NF Happenstance, Wes Delight (9); Always A Prince, Sell A Bit N (7); Blue Moon Stride, Done Well, Dunbar Hall, Easy Lover Hanover, Jet Airway (4); Fox Valley Gemini, Somewhere In LA, Ubettergo Go, Youaremycandygirl (3); Barn Girl, Crazy Wow, Dr J Hanover (2); Agent Q, Carol’s Z Tam, Fiftydallarbill, St Lads Neptune, Theresademoninme, Velocity Stifler (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.