by Ken Weingartner, USTA Media Relations Manager
Hightstown, NJ — Saturday winners at The Meadowlands were winners again on Tuesday in this week’s Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll.
Six-year-old female trotter Hannelore Hanover, who won a division of the Miss Versatility Series at the Big M, remained entrenched at No. 1 for the eighth consecutive week, which is the duration of the poll.
William R. Haughton Memorial winner McWicked, Hambletonian Maturity winner Ariana G, Meadowlands Pace champion Courtly Choice, and Mistletoe Shalee winner Kissin In The Sand all made gains to move into the next four spots in the rankings.
Three-year-old male trotter Six Pack, who won a division of the Stanley Dancer Memorial in a world-record 1:50, went from unranked to No. 9. Wolfgang, who won the other Dancer division, dropped from ninth to 10th, but added 15 points to his total from the previous week.
Plunge Blue Chip, a filly who became the first 3-year-old trotter in history to win in less than 1:50, stopping the clock in 1:49.4 in her division of the Delvin Miller Memorial, received 45 points this week. She had no points a week ago. Manchego, who lost to Plunge Blue Chip by a nose, dropped from sixth to just outside 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.