The race for No. 1 got a little tighter in this week’s Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll.
Shartin N remained in the top spot, as she has for all seven weeks of the poll, but Atlanta is gaining. Atlanta cut Shartin N’s lead from to 26 points to five thanks to her world record 1:49.1 win in the Graduate Series championship for four-year-old trotters at the Meadowlands Racetrack. Atlanta received 15 first-place votes, up from eight a week ago (the replay of Atlanta's world record win appears below).
Shartin N also won over the weekend, as she captured a leg of the Great Northeast Open Series for pacing mares at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
Meadowlands Pace elimination winners Captain Crunch and Bettors Wish remained in positions three and five, respectively, in the rankings, while idle Greenshoe held steady in fourth.
Lather Up, who equalled the fastest mile in history with his 1:46 score in the Graduate Series championship for four-year-old pacers, joined the Top 10 at No. 6. The remainder of the Top 10 was idle.
The Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll, which runs weekly through November, does not determine Horse of the Year. The members of the U.S. Harness Writers Association vote on all Dan Patch Award division winners plus Trotter of the Year, Pacer of the Year and Horse of the Year.
Rankings based on the votes of harness racing media representatives on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.
Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown Standardbred Poll: Week 7 – 7/9/2019
| Rank | Name (First Votes) | Age/Gait/Sex | Record | Earnings | Points | Pvs |
| 1 | Shartin N (19) | 6pm | 10-9-0-0 | $521,375 | 330 | 1 |
| 2 | Atlanta (15) | 4tm | 6-6-0-0 | $339,330 | 325 | 2 |
| 3 | Captain Crunch (1) | 3pc | 5-4-0-0 | $459,693 | 270 | 3 |
| 4 | Greenshoe | 3tc | 4-3-1-0 | $250,000 | 204 | 4 |
| 5 | Bettors Wish | 3pc | 6-5-1-0 | $392,500 | 190 | 5 |
| 6 | Lather Up | 4ph | 8-5-0-1 | $214,710 | 146 | — |
| 7 | Western Fame | 6ph | 10-6-1-2 | $526,300 | 99 | 7 |
| 8 | Gimpanzee | 3tc | 2-2-0-0 | $131,788 | 94 | 6 |
| 9 | Warrawee Ubeaut | 3pf | 6-4-1-1 | $192,358 | 70 | 8 |
| 10 | Hannelore Hanover | 7tm | 4-2-0-0 | $59,282 | 38 | 9 |
Also: Guardian Angel As 35; Pilot Discretion 14; Six Pack 12; Tequila Monday, Treacherous Reign 10; Bettor Joy N, Century Farroh, McWicked, None Bettor A, Workin Ona Mystery 8; Green Manalishi S 7; Highalator, Rich And Miserable 6; Courtly Choice 5; Always A Prince 4; Jimmy Freight 3; JK First Lady, Mr Vicktor 2; Millies Possesion, Queen Of The Pride, This Is The Plan 1.
(USTA)