Ariana G and Huntsville climb in Poll

Freehold, NJ — Returning Dan Patch Award winners Ariana G and Huntsville made upward moves in this week’s harness racing Hambletonian Society / Breeders Crown poll thanks to impressive wins over the weekend.

Ariana G won the New Jersey Sire Stakes championship for 3-year-old female trotters by 3-1/4 lengths in a stakes-record 1:51.1 and rose from ninth to third in the rankings. Huntsville won a division of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes series for 3-year-old male pacers by 7-1/4 lengths in 1:49 and moved from unranked to No. 7 in the poll.

Fear The Dragon also gained in the rankings, jumping from 10th to fifth following his 1:49.1 triumph in a division of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for 3-year-old male pacers.

Three-year-old male pacer Downbytheseaside, who was idle, remained No. 1 in the poll. Lady Shadow, a 6-year-old pacing mare, also was idle and remained second.

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.

Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown Standardbred Poll: Week 2 – 6/6/2017

Rank	Name (First Place Votes)	Age/Gait/Sex	Record	Earnings	Points	Pvs
1	Downbytheseaside (22)	3pc	3-3-0-0	$188,910	313	1
2	Lady Shadow (6)	6pm	2-2-0-0	$125,000	227	2
3	Ariana G (2)	3tf	2-2-0-0	$60,000	185	9
4	Bit Of A Legend N	8ph	10-3-2-3	$193,170	145	3
5	Fear The Dragon	3pc	4-4-0-0	$72,453	119	10
6	Resolve (1)	6th	1-1-0-0	$93,000	113	7
7	Huntsville (1)	3pc	3-2-1-0	$56,029	112	—
8	Somewhere In LA (1)	6pg	17-7-4-2	$346,500	103	5
9	Crazy Wow	5th	4-1-3-0	$131,500	96	4
10	Mossdale Conner N (1)	8pg	4-4-0-0	$126,000	90	6

Also: Dr J Hanover (55); Hannelore Hanover (43); Keystone Velocity (36); All Bets Off (35); Missile J (33); Clear Vision (29); Rock N’ Roll World (22); Long Tom (18); Broadway Donna (15); Rockeyed Optimist (12); Highalator (10); Medusa, Sintra (9); Mackenzie A, Split The House, Western Fame (8); Tequila Monday (7); Deerfield Beach, Safe From Terror (6); Caviart Wonder, Darlinonthebeach, Sortie (5); McWicked, Red Hot Herbie (4); Barn Girl, Enterprise, Every Way Out, Soto, Treviso (3); American Virgin, Charmed Life, Gustavo Fring, Mel Mara (2); Dayson, Freeze Out, Hurricane Beach, Keystone I Wish, Knocking Around, Lord Cromwell, Magic Presto (1).

Dr J Hanover received 1 first-place vote.

North American statistics only.

by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications