The Week 14 installment of the 2018 Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown Poll is dominated by the ladies, as the top four positions have been taken up by the fairer sex.
Although Hambletonian winner Atlanta was defeated by her divisional rival, Manchego, this past weekend in the Casual Breeze, the Rick Zeron-trained and Scott Zeron-driven filly has still retained the top spot on the poll, as she garnered 17 first-place votes and 320 overall points.
Manchego, this year’s Hambletonian Oaks winner, is second on the Week 14 poll off of her Canadian record-equalling performance against Atlanta this past Friday. The Jimmy Takter-trained and Yannick Gingras-driven bay received 13 first-place votes and 287 overall points.
Shartin N retained her No. 3 position on the poll courtesy of three first-place votes and 260 overall points. Hannelore Hanover, the Queen of the aged trotting ranks that dominated the poll for much of the year, has slide down to the fourth position. She did not attract any first-place votes for Week 14, but still compiled 210 overall points.
Other distaffers that made it into the Week 14 top ten include Ariana G (eighth – one first-place vote and 101 overall points) and Kissin In The Sand (tenth – 73 overall points).
The results from Week 14 appear below.
(Rank – Horse [first-place votes] – Total Points – Previous)
1 – Atlanta (17) – 320 – 1
2 – Manchego (13) – 287 – 4
3 – Shartin N (3) – 260 – 3
4 – Hannelore Hanover – 210 – 2
5 – Courtly Choice – 148 – 5
6 – Marion Marauder – 131 – 9
7 – McWicked – 122 – 6
8 – Ariana G (1) – 101 – N/A
9 – Lazarus N (1) – 94 – 7
10 – Kissin In The Sand – 73 – 10
Also: Lather Up (69); Youaremycandygirl (35); Jimmy Freight (22); Will Take Charge (8); Mets Hall (7); Captain Ahab, Dont Letem, Filibuster Hanover (6); Wolfgang (5); Six Pack (4); Crystal Fashion, Swandre The Giant (3); Beckhams Z Tam, De Los Cielos Deo, Dorsoduro Hanover, Phaetosive, Stag Party (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.