Manchego regains No. 1 spot in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll
July 20, 2021, by Ken Weingartner, USTA Media Relations Manager
Hightstown, NJ — Manchego regained the No. 1 spot in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll thanks to her 1:49.4 win in last Saturday’s fourth round of the Miss Versatility Series at The Meadowlands. It was the first sub-1:50 mile of the season and made the 6-year-old mare the first trotter in history to win in faster than 1:50 in three different years.
Test Of Faith, who won a division of the New York Sires Stakes at Yonkers last week, moved from third to second in the rankings while Mistletoe Shalee winner Hot Mess Express climbed from fifth to third. This Is The Plan, who knocked Manchego from No. 1 for two weeks, slipped to fourth after finishing fourth in a division of the William R. Haughton Memorial won by Cattlewash.
Cattlewash was one of three newcomers in the Top 10, landing at No. 5. The remaining two newcomers in the Top 10 were 3-year-old male trotters Dancinginthedark M and Johan Palema. Dancinginthedark M won a division of the Stanley Dancer Memorial and was ranked seventh. Johan Palema, who was not eligible to the Dancer, won a conditioned race and took the 10th spot.
The Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll does not determine 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 9 – 7/20/2021
ALSO: Johan Palema 53; Lyons Sentinel 43; Cattlewash 39; Abuckabett Hanover 26; Ready For Moni 24; Charlie May 17; Racine Bell 15; Venerate, Wheels On Fire 13; Winning Ticket 11; Ruthless Hanover 10; Dancinginthedark M 9; Bulldog Hanover 8; Catch The Fire 6; Iteration, Machnhope 5; Ahundreddollarbill, Gotthegreenlight, When Dovescry 4; Heart Of Chewbacca, Lindy The Great, Sea Silk 3; Beads, Forbidden Trade, Hypnotic AM, I Did It Myway, Lit De Rose, One Eight Hundred, Piper Hanover, Venerable 2; Alexa Skye, Bella Bellini, Beltissima, Poseidon Seelster, Powertrain, Soaring Now, Southwind Amazon, Whiskey Blu 1.