Bythemissal jumps up in Top Ten Poll

Hightstown, NJ — Only seven of the 29 horses receiving at least one point in the Week 10 Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll were in harness racing action last week, resulting in little movement in the Week 11 rankings released Tuesday.

Four-year-old male pacer Bulldog Hanover (Shadow Play), who won the Dan Patch Stakes this past weekend, held on to the No. 1 spot for the sixth consecutive week. He was followed in positions two through six by Bella Bellini (Bar Hopping), Alrajah One IT (Maharajah), Test Of Faith (Art Major), Joviality S (Chapter Seven), and Beach Glass (Somebeachsomewhere). All five of those horses were idle.

Carl Milstein Memorial winner Bythemissal (Downbytheseaside) was seventh, a gain of three spots from a week ago, while Fashion Schooner (Walner), Pebble Beach (Downbytheseaside), and Cool Papa Bell (Chapter Seven) each dropped a notch. Fashion Schooner and Cool Papa Bell were idle; Pebble Beach finished second in the second round of the Kentucky Championship Series.

For the first time this year, there were no newcomers to the Top 10.

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.

by Ken Weingartner, for the USTA