Twin B Joe Fresh held the top spot yet again while Little Brown Jug winner Captain Albano, Shes A Great Lady champion Chantilly and Mohawk Million winner Maryland made big gains in the Week 15 edition of the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll, which was released on Tuesday, Sept. 24.
Captain Albano added 160 points from a week ago and received one first-place vote as he vaulted from No. 10 to No. 4 following his sweep of his elimination and the final of the Little Brown Jug.
Chantilly, unbeaten in seven starts, added 89 points and also garnered a first-place vote as she rose from seventh to fifth in the rankings. Maryland, who won the Mohawk Million in a Canadian record 1:52.3, nearly duplicated Chantilly’s points improvement. He upped his total by 88 and cracked the Top 10 for the first time this season, coming in at No. 8.
Twin B Joe Fresh, ranked No. 1 for the 11th straight week, and second-place Jiggy Jog S did not compete last week. Neither did Karl, who moved up from fourth to third as Nijinsky dropped from third to sixth following his sixth-place finish in a Little Brown Jug elimination.
Also dropping following their races last week were No. 7 Legendary Hanover, who was third in both his elim and the final of the Little Brown Jug, and No. 10 Highland Kismet, who made a break in the Canadian Trotting Classic. Its A Love Thing, who was idle, got bumped down a notch by Maryland’s arrival in the Top 10.
Warrawee Michelle, who was idle, dropped out of the Top 10.
The Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll, which will be released every Tuesday through the remainder of the Grand Circuit season, does not determine U.S. 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 15 – Sept. 24, 2024
| Rank | Name (First Votes) | A/S/G | Record | Earnings (USD) | Points | Pvs |
| 1 | Twin B Joe Fresh (25) | 4mp | 9-8-1-0 | $495,812 | 329 | 1 |
| 2 | Jiggy Jog S (7) | 5mt | 5-5-0-0 | $809,188 | 301 | 2 |
| 3 | Karl (1) | 3ct | 11-9-1-1 | $977,839 | 236 | 4 |
| 4 | Captain Albano (1) | 3cp | 13-8-12 | $797,043 | 194 | 10 |
| 5 | Chantilly (1) | 2fp | 7-7-0-0 | $399,015 | 188 | 7 |
| 6 | Nijinsky | 3cp | 11-9-1-0 | $802,170 | 156 | 3 |
| 7 | Legendary Hanover | 3cp | 13-6-4-2 | $775,017 | 148 | 5 |
| 8 | Maryland | 2ct | 7-4-1-1 | $795,378 | 108 | -- |
| 9 | Its A Love Thing | 3fp | 10-7-2-0 | $494,174 | 61 | 8 |
| 10 | Highland Kismet | 3gt | 12-7-2-1 | $443,156 | 34 | 6 |
ALSO: Winners Bet 32; Sabonis 19; Little Rocket Man, Warrawee Michelle 17; Periculum 14; Rose 12; Louprint 10; Call Me Goo, Soft Shot 7; Abuckabett Hanover, French Champagne, Its My Show, Monalishi, Sir Pinocchio 4; Desperate Man, Direction 3; Amazing Catch, Fallout, My Girl EJ, Rocket Deo 2; Greenspan 1.
(With files from USTA)