With less than three weeks until the Hambletonian at The Meadowlands, there was little movement in Ken Warkentin’s top 10 for standardbred racing’s premiere event despite its top colt losing for the first time as a 3-year-old.

Karl, last year’s champion 2-year-old trotting colt, began his 3-year-old season with four consecutive victories but finished third in his division of the Stanley Dancer Memorial on July 13 at The Meadowlands to run his career record to 13 wins from 15 starts.

Funny enough, his closest pursuer on Warkentin’s rankings, T C I, finished third in the other division of the Stanley Dancer.

Warkentin remains bullish on both colts’ abilities, however, pointing to their sire stakes victories in their respective states: New Jersey for Karl and Pennsylvania for T C I.

The horse who defeated Karl was Sig Sauer, and he moved to third on Warkentin’s list.

“In just second start of the season, the New Jersey Sire Stakes and New Jersey Classic winner uncorked a 1:50 career-best (mile) in a shocker,” Warkentin said. “Karl was parked to the half from post eight.”

The final “preps,” to use Thoroughbred terminology, before the Hambletonian eliminations are this weekend, with the third leg of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes on July 19 at Harrah’s Philadelphia and the Tompkins-Greers on July 20 at the Meadowlands.

The road to the Hambletonian

Coverage of The Hambletonian is made possible through a marketing partnership between Horse Racing Nation, The Meadowlands and The Hambletonian Society.