Wiggle It Jiggleit tops first Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown Poll
May 24, 2016,by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications
Freehold, NJ — Four-year-old male pacer Wiggle It Jiggleit finds himself in a familiar position in this year’s first Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll — the No. 1 spot. Wiggle It Jiggleit finished last year as the poll’s top-ranked horse.
The returning Dan Patch Award-winning Horse of the Year has won five of eight races this year, finishing no worse than second in any start, and is coming off a track-record performance in the Battle of Lake Erie at Northfield Park.
Sitting at No. 2 in the poll is 7-year-old New Zealand-import Bit Of A Legend, whose nine victories this season include the Levy Memorial Pacing Series championship. His $473,750 in purses are No. 1 among all harness racing horses in North America.
Multiple Dan Patch Award-winning female trotter Bee A Magician is third in the rankings, followed by 4-year-old male pacer Rockin Ron, who earlier this season won the Confederation Cup with a Canadian-record performance, and 3-year-old male pacer Check Six, the Pennsylvania Classic winner.
Four-year-old male trotter Maestro Blue Chip, unbeaten in 10 races this year and coming off a victory in a division of the Graduate Series, is No. 6.
The remainder of the Top 10 includes two returning Breeders Crown champions in male pacers Always B Miki (No. 7) and Freaky Feet Pete (No. 10) as well as two returning divisional champions in 3-year-old male trotter Southwind Frank (No. 8) and 3-year-old female pacer Pure Country (No. 9).
A total of 37 horses received at least one point in the year’s first poll. Each horse in the top seven received at least one first-place vote.
The Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll does not determine Horse of the Year. The U.S. Harness Writers Association votes in December on all 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 1 – 5/24/2016
|
Rank
|
Name (First Place Votes)
|
A/G/S
|
Record
|
Earnings
|
Points
|
Pvs
|
|
1
|
Wiggle It Jiggleit (18)
|
4pg
|
8-5-3-0
|
$289,765
|
323
|
—
|
|
2
|
|
7ph
|
12-9-2-0
|
$473,750
|
250
|
—
|
|
3
|
Bee A Magician (2)
|
6tm
|
3-3-0-0
|
$107,000
|
193
|
—
|
|
4
|
Rockin Ron (1)
|
4pg
|
11-10-1-0
|
$207,690
|
181
|
—
|
|
5
|
Check Six (2)
|
3pc
|
4-4-0-0
|
$328,443
|
151
|
—
|
|
6
|
Maestro Blue Chip (1)
|
4th
|
10-10-0-0
|
$130,000
|
128
|
—
|
|
7
|
Always B Miki (4)
|
5ph
|
3-2-1-0
|
$31,250
|
97
|
—
|
|
8
|
Southwind Frank
|
3tc
|
1-1-0-0
|
$12,500
|
83
|
—
|
|
9
|
Pure Country
|
3pf
|
2-1-0-1
|
$159,300
|
81
|
—
|
|
10
|
Freaky Feet Pete
|
4ph
|
4-3-0-1
|
$55,500
|
77
|
—
|
Also:Nickle Bag (56); All Bets Off (47); JL Cruze, Rockeyed Optimist (40); Yagonnakissmeornot(33); Resolve (25); Boston Red Rocks (23); Cufflink Hanover (11); MusicalRhythm (10); Sell A Bit N (9); Betting Line, L A Delight, Wings Of Royalty (7);Major Athens, Pinkman, Shamballa (6); Hannelore Hanover (5); Bushwacker,Darlinonthebeach (4); Caprice Hill, Mach It So (3); All The Time, Bigtown Hero,JK Will Power (2); Dayson, Mel Mara, Unlocked (1).