Two of this season’s unbeaten three-year-old female pacers, Test Of Faith and Hot Mess Express, joined the Top 10 in this week’s Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll.
Test Of Faith, unbeaten in three races, moved to No. 7 in the rankings following her victory in an elimination of the Park MGM Pace at Yonkers Raceway. Hot Mess Express, perfect in four starts, landed at No. 10 after an Indiana Sire Stakes win at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.
Otherwise, there was little movement in the Top 10. The top-six positions were unchanged from last week, with Manchego at No. 1, followed by This Is The Plan, Abuckabett Hanover, Its Academic, Nicholas Beach, and Perfect Sting.
Abuckabett Hanover won an elimination of the MGM Grand Messenger Stakes at Yonkers while Perfect Sting was second-placed-first in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at The Meadows. This Is The Plan finished second in the Open at The Meadowlands. The remaining horses in the top six were idle.
Southwind Gendry, who was third-placed-second in the PASS at The Meadows, dropped from seventh to ninth in the poll.
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 6 – 6/29/2021
| Rank | Name (First Votes) | A/S/G | Record | Earnings | Points | Pvs |
| 1 | Manchego (28) | 6mt | 3-3-0-0 | $132,095 | 342 | 1 |
| 2 | This Is The Plan (4) | 6gp | 10-3-7-0 | $462,000 | 286 | 2 |
| 3 | Abuckabett Hanover (1) | 3cp | 4-4-0-0 | $92,686 | 250 | 3 |
| 4 | Its Academic | 4ht | 11-6-1-2 | $198,680 | 177 | 4 |
| 5 | Nicholas Beach (2) | 5gp | 7-5-2-0 | $107,950 | 143 | 5 |
| 6 | Perfect Sting | 3cp | 3-2-1-0 | $95,677 | 125 | 6 |
| 7 | Test Of Faith | 3fp | 3-3-0-0 | $62,700 | 107 | — |
| 8 | Racine Bell | 4mp | 12-8-1-2 | $130,050 | 57 | 8 |
| 9 | Southwind Gendry | 3gp | 4-2-2-0 | $126,772 | 50 | 7 |
| 10 | Hot Mess Express | 3fp | 4-4-0-0 | $128,750 | 46 | — |
ALSO: Atlanta 44; Ruthless Hanover 43; Ahundreddollarbill 40; One Eight Hundred 33; Captain Barbossa 28; Alexa Skye 25; American Courage, When Dovescry 18; Winning Ticket 14; Charlie May, Wheels On Fire 9; Captain Corey, Machnhope 8; Southwind Amazon 7; Heart Of Chewbacca 6; Allywag Hanover, Beads, Rockapelo 4; Hypnotic AM, Rattle My Cage, South Beach Star 3; Beltassima, I Did It Myway, So Much More, Whiskey Blu 2; Always A Miki, Johan Palema, Powertrain 1.
(USTA)