Freehold, NJ --- JL Cruze’s upset of Father Patrick in a division of the Graduate Series for 4-year-old trotters helped to vault the harness racing gelding into this week’s Top 10 in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll. JL Cruze, who has won 12 of 14 races this year and never been worse than second, won by a neck over Father Patrick in 1:51 and lands at No. 5 in this week’s rankings.
Also joining the Top 10, at No. 9, is 4-year-old gelding pacer Rockeyed Optimist, who captured a division of the Graduate Series for 4-year-old pacers last weekend at the Meadowlands. Rockeyed Optimist has nine victories and one second-place finish in 10 starts this season.
Otherwise, little changed in the Top 10, with idle 3-year-old male pacer Wiggle It Jiggleit remaining in the No. 1 spot, followed by Charlie Hill Memorial-winning 5-year-old female trotter Bee A Magician in second. Artspeak, another 3-year-old male pacer who was idle last week, moved to third as Father Patrick dropped to fourth.
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 4 – 6/9/2015
Rank |
Name (First Place Votes) |
A/G/S |
Record |
Earnings |
Points |
Pvs |
1 |
Wiggle It Jiggleit (24) |
3pg |
9-9-0-0 |
$135,742 |
315 |
1 |
2 |
Bee A Magician (4) |
5tm |
5-4-1-0 |
$270,735 |
300 |
2 |
3 |
Artspeak (5) |
3pc |
2-2-0-0 |
$60,000 |
219 |
4 |
4 |
Father Patrick (1) |
4th |
2-1-1-0 |
$89,062 |
191 |
3 |
5 |
JL Cruze |
4tg |
14-12-2-0 |
$183,638 |
153 |
-- |
6 |
Mission Brief |
3tf |
2-2-0-0 |
$62,500 |
132 |
5 |
7 |
In The Arsenal |
3pc |
3-3-0-0 |
$185,525 |
129 |
6 |
8 |
JK She’salady (1) |
3pf |
1-1-0-0 |
$15,525 |
84 |
8 |
9 |
Rockeyed Optimist |
4pg |
10-9-1-0 |
$153,525 |
79 |
-- |
10 |
Pinkman |
3tg |
2-2-0-0 |
$63,821 |
56 |
10 |
Also: Shake It Cerry (49); Doo Wop Hanover (42); All Bets Off, Radar Contact (25); JK Endofanera (22); State Treasurer (21); Habitat (15); Uncle Lasse (10); Canepa Hanover (9); Frau Blucher (7); Hurrikane Ali, Wakizashi Hanover (6); Ideal Cowboy (5); Bourbon Bay, Color’s A Virgin, P H Supercam (4); Domethatagain, Solar Sister (3); Split The House, Whom Shall I Fear (2); Crazy Wow, Let’s Drink On It, Modern Legend (1).
by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications