Although Hannelore Hanover has solidified her position atop the 2018 Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown Standardbred Poll in Week 8, a number of horses have made some significant moves towards the top.
Hannelore Hanover stretched her seasonal unbeaten streak to six this past Saturday at the Meadowlands Racetrack, courtesy of her track record 1:50.2 mile in the Miss Versatility prelims. The reigning Horse of the Year on both sides of the border cut all the fractions (:27.1, :55.4, 1:23.4) from Post 4 and closed things out in :26.3 to notch a half-length score. The Ron Burke-trained and Yannick Gingras-driven supermare has now earned more than $267,000 in purses this season. She also surpassed the $2.9-million mark in career bank via her Saturday effort.
The Casie Coleman-trained and Brian Sears-driven McWicked has jumped from fifth to second in the poll off of the McArdle gelding’s 2:02.2 clocking at the Meadowlands this past weekend in the $471,100 William Haughton Memorial, which was contested at the distance of one and one-eighth miles.
Another to make a big leap up the rankings is the Jimmy Takter-trained and Yannick Gingras-reined Ariana G, who captured the $405,850 Hambletonian Maturity this past Saturday at the ‘Big M,’ which was contested at the distance of one and one-eighth miles. The Muscle Hill lass spurned her Post 9 start, went straight to the front and led all the way home. She got the job done in 2:05. After having been voted to the No. 7 spot in the Week 7 edition of the poll, Ariana G has now vaulted up into third spot in Week 8.
After having been out of the top 10 in Week 7 polling, 2018 Meadowlands Pace winner Courtly Choice has vaulted to the No. 4 spot in Week 8 voting. The Blake MacIntosh-trained and David Miller-driven son of Art Major was a strong off-the-pace winner Saturday at ‘The Mecca of Harness Racing,’ as he charged to a 1:47.1 victory in the $701,830 Meadowlands Pace.
The Nancy Johansson-trained and Scott Zeron-driven Kissin In The Sand was tops this past Saturday in the $191,800 Mistletoe Shalee final at the Meadowlands, as she recorded a wire-to-wire win in 2:04.1 during the one-and-one-eighths-miles contest. The Somebeachsomewhere filly has now made the leap from eighth to fifth in the poll.
The results from Week 8 of the poll appear below.
(Rank – Horse [first-place votes] – Total Points – Previous)
1 – Hannelore Hanover (34) – 349 – 1
2 – McWicked (1) – 245 – 5
3 – Ariana G – 215 – 7
4 – Courtly Choice – 164 – N/A
5 – Kissin In The Sand – 155 – 8
6 – Atlanta – 153 – 4
7 – Shartin N – 147 – 2
8 – Lather Up – 144 – 3
9 – Six Pack – 116 – N/A
10 – Wolfgang – 100 – 9
Also: Manchego (62); Plunge Blue Chip (45); Marion Marauder (8); Crystal Fashion (5); Filibuster Hanover, Fox Valley Gemini, Phaetosive (3); Springsteen (2); Bit Of A Legend N, Donttellmeagain, Dorsoduro Hanover, Foiled Again, Sock It Away, Youaremycandygirl (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.