Nijinsky pulls away in Top Ten Poll

After clinging to the No. 1 spot by a single point in last week’s Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll, Nijinsky (Bettors Delight) widened his lead to 49 points in the Week 4 edition of the harness racing rankings released Tuesday.

Nijinsky won his Meadowlands Pace elimination in 1:47.3 this past Saturday at The Meadowlands and was rewarded with 25 of 35 first-place votes in the poll. He was second on the remaining 10 ballots.

Last week, Nijinsky received 15 first-place votes while No. 2-ranked Karl garnered 14. Karl, who was idle last week, received six first-place votes this week. He remained second in the rankings, followed by idle Twin B Joe Fresh and Jiggy Jog S, who split the remaining four first-place votes.

Winner’s Bet, who captured the Graduate Series final for 4-year-old trotters on Saturday, made the biggest move in the rankings, going from No. 10 (where he was tied with Abuckabett Hanover and Southwind Tyrion) to seventh.

Legendary Hanover, who won the other Meadowlands Pace elimination, was the only newcomer in the Top 10, landing at eighth. T C I, who made a break in the Zweig Memorial and finished fourth, dropped from seventh to ninth. Captain’s Quarters, fourth in his Meadowlands Pace elim, fell from eighth to 10th.

Hellabalou, Abuckabett Hanover, and Southwind Tyrion dropped out of the Top 10.

ALSO: Hellabalou, Southwind Tyrion 31; Abuckabett Hanover, Call Me Goo 22; Funtime Bayama 20; Sir Pinocchio 13; Little Rocket Man 12; Papi Grad 11; Voukefalas 10; Elista Hanover 9; Jurassic Hattie 8; M-M’s Dream, Odds On Platinum 5; Greatest Pleasure, My Girl EJ 4; Wicked N Single 3; Carbine, Clever Cody, Dame Good Time, Linedrive Hanover 2; Aunt Lilly, Charlie May, Dreamboat Hanover, Special Way 1.

The Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll, which will be released every Tuesday through the remainder of the Grand Circuit season, 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