Confederate picked up his eighth consecutive win in a division of the Tattersalls Pace on Sunday, Oct. 8 at Lexington’s Red Mile and on Tuesday, Oct. 10 was voted the unanimous No. 1-ranked horse in the Week 18 edition of the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll. Confederate, who has won 10 of 11 races overall, has captured seven in a row by a margin of at least two lengths.
The three-year-old colt trained by Brett Pelling has topped the poll's rankings for eight straight weeks and was the unanimous top choice previously in Week 13 on Sept. 5.
Sylvia Hanover, who won a division of the Glen Garnsey Memorial, moved up a spot in this week’s rankings, from third to second. Its My Show, who had been No. 2, dropped to seventh following his seventh-place finish in the Tattersalls division won by Confederate.
T C I, who won a division of the International Stallion Stakes, moved up from fourth to third this week while Kentucky Futurity champ Tactical Approach jumped from 10th to fourth. Tattoo Artist, who was idle, remained fifth.
Geocentric, undefeated in eight races this year after winning a division of the International Stallion, was sixth. Following Its My Show were Allerage Farms Mare Pace winner Grace Hill and Allerage Open Pace winner Bythemissal. Alrajah One IT rejoined the Top 10, at No. 10, after winning the Allerage Open Trot.
Its Academic, who was sixth in the Allerage Open Trot, dropped out of the Top 10.
The Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll does not determine U.S. 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 18 – Oct. 10, 2023
| Rank | Name (First Votes) | A/S/Gt | Record | Earnings (USD) | Points | Pvs |
| 1 | Confederate (35) | 3cp | 11-10-1-0 | $1,232,429 | 350 | 1 |
| 2 | Sylvia Hanover | 3fp | 11-9-1-0 | $461,709 | 307 | 3 |
| 3 | T C I | 2ct | 11-10-1-0 | $1,081,370 | 226 | 4 |
| 4 | Tactical Approach | 3ct | 15-8-1-4 | $977,489 | 166 | 10 |
| 5 | Tattoo Artist | 6hp | 19-7-5-1 | $812,272 | 157 | 5 |
| 6 | Geocentric | 2fp | 8-8-0-0 | $536,751 | 141 | 7 |
| 7 | Its My Show | 3gp | 14-9-3-0 | $1,061,084 | 138 | 2 |
| 8 | Grace Hill | 5mp | 13-10-2-1 | $567,526 | 101 | 8 |
| 9 | Bythemissal | 4gp | 12-8-1-1 | $526,541 | 100 | 9 |
| 10 | Alrajah One IT | 7ht | 3-2-1-0 | $323,600 | 81 | — |
ALSO: Its Academic 60; Jiggy Jog S 21; Twin B Joe Fresh 12; Karl 11; Cannibal 10; Mommamia Volo 8; Newsroom, Seven Colors 7; Captains Quarters 6; Special Way 4; M Ms Dream, Soiree Hanover 3; Better B Bold 2; Jimmy Freight, Legendary Hanover, Pass Line, Sig Sauer 1.
(With files from USTA)