by Ken Weingartner, USTA Media Relations Manager

Hightstown, NJ — Hempt Memorial elimination winner Lather Up moved up in this week’s Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll, at least in terms of closing the gap on No. 1 Hannelore Hanover. Lather Up, a 3-year-old male pacer ranked No. 2 for the second consecutive week, added five first-place votes this week and gained 21 points on idle 6-year-old female trotter Hannelore Hanover, pulling within 20 points of the top position.

Manchego, the 3-year-old female trotter who defeated the boys in her elimination for the Beal Memorial, made the biggest advance in this week’s rankings. Manchego added 77 points and moved from No. 6 to No. 4 in the poll.

Five-year-old female pacer Shartin N, who was idle, remained third and 3-year-old female trotter Atlanta, who produced a track-record performance at Tioga to win a New York Sire Stakes division, remained fifth. Filibuster Hanover, a 4-year-old male pacer who lost for the first time in six races this year in an elimination of the Ben Franklin Pace, dropped from fourth to sixth.

There were no other changes in the rankings in the remainder of the Top 10.

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.

Rankings based on the votes of harness racing media representatives on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.

HambletonianSociety/Breeders Crown Standardbred Poll: Week 5 – 6/26/2018

Also:McWicked (33); Homicide Hunter (25); Shower Play, Six Pack (24); Jimmy Freight(22); Rockin Ron (11); Ariana G (10); Done Well, Sintra (9); Elmo Blatch (6);Mission Accepted (5); All Bets Off, Trump Nation (3); Marion Marauder, KissinIn The Sand (2); Courtly Choice, Dorsoduro Hanover, Emoticon Hanover, FoxValley Gemini, Mach It So, Stay Hungry, Wes Delight (1).