Bulldog Hanover was back to being the unanimous choice for No. 1 in the Week 17 Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll released Tuesday (Sept. 27).
The four-year-old male pacer, who won the Harrah’s Hoosier Park Pacing Derby in a track-record 1:46.3 this past Friday, received all 35 first-place votes. It marked the second time in four weeks that he was the undisputed top choice. Bulldog Hanover has been at the top of the rankings for 12 consecutive weeks.
Joviality S and Test Of Faith, both idle, remained unchanged in the following two spots. Bella Bellini, who won the Caesars Trotting Classic, moved to No. 4, swapping places with idle Beach Glass to round out the top five.
Little Brown Jug winner Bythemissal leapfrogged Moni Maker Stakes winner Fashion Schooner for sixth. Cool Papa Bell, who won the Phil Langley Memorial, moved up to eighth and was followed by newcomers Stockade Seelster, who won the Metro Pace, and Sylvia Hanover, who won the Shes A Great Lady.
Alrajah One IT and Charlie May dropped from the Top 10.
The Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll 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 17 – Sept. 27, 2022
| Rank | Name (First Votes) | A/S/G | Record | Earnings (USD) | Points | Pvs |
| 1 | Bulldog Hanover (35) | 4hp | 12-11-0-0 | $1,024,331 | 350 | 1 |
| 2 | Joviality S | 3ft | 11-9-1-1 | $882,427 | 284 | 2 |
| 3 | Test Of Faith | 4mp | 14-8-5-0 | $541,592 | 221 | 3 |
| 4 | Bella Bellini | 4mt | 14-7-3-4 | $642,477 | 210 | 5 |
| 5 | Beach Glass | 3cp | 10-7-3-0 | $930,069 | 208 | 4 |
| 6 | Bythemissal | 3gp | 12-10-2-0 | $830,525 | 185 | 7 |
| 7 | Fashion Schooner | 3ft | 11-8-2-1 | $671,937 | 149 | 6 |
| 8 | Cool Papa Bell | 3gt | 11-6-1-2 | $796,225 | 76 | 9 |
| 9 | Stockade Seelster | 2cp | 8-7-0-1 | $559,068 | 55 | — |
| 10 | Sylvia Hanover | 2fp | 7-6-1-0 | $363,065 | 42 | — |
ALSO: Alrajah One IT 33; Charlie May 23; Oh Well 21; Pebble Beach 11; Rebuff 9; Twin B Joe Fresh 7; Confederate 6; Allywag Hanover 5; Atlanta, I Did It Myway, Treacherous Dragon, Voukefalas 4; Tattoo Artist 3; Beach Cowgirl, Boudoir Hanover, Special Way 2; Heart On Fire, Jimmy Freight, Max Contract, Sea Silk, Velvet Stinger 1.
(USTA)
Alrajah One IT
If today was Dec. 31, if you go by the number of votes received, Alrajah One IT would be the 2022 OTHOTY, even though he has only made 3 starts in 2022. No other OTH received a single vote this week.