AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION—JUNE 13, 2018— After posting a half-length victory in Sunday’s $1 million Ruidoso Futurity (G1) in New Mexico, Newman Cattle Co.’s Blue Corazon soared to the top of the latest AQHA Racing National Poll for 2-year-olds.

The gray gelding by first-crop sire Coronado Cartel defeated Suze Returns at Ruidoso Downs and holds a slim margin over that rival in the rankings as the High Rate Of Return filly, who won the West Texas Futurity (G2) at Sunland Park, checked in at No. 2.

Lynnder 16, the winner of the Remington Park Futurity (RG2) who had topped the poll every week so far this year, dropped to No. 3 after finishing third in the Ruidoso Juvenile Stakes.

In the poll for older horses, two-time reigning world champion Jessies First Down remained at the top, but there was plenty of movement below the winner of two Grade 1 races at Remington Park this year.

Last week’s poll had Hold Air Hostage and KVN Corona in a dead heat for second, while the newest rankings have BH Lisas Boy, winner of the Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship (G1), alone in second with Hold Air Hostage, last year’s champion 3-year-old, down to third.

Moving up to No. 4 this week after being unranked was Ricardo A. Bernal and Reymundo F. Resendez’s Jess Move You, the upset winner of the $759,197 Ruidoso Derby (G1) on Saturday. Jess Move You’s win was part of a big weekend for trainer Rodolfo Valles, who also saddled Blue Corazon to win the Ruidoso Futurity.

KVN Corona, who ran eighth behind Jess Move You, slid to No. 6 this week.

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS AND OLDER

1. JESSIES FIRST DOWN (90)
2. BH LISAS BOY (75)
3. HOLD AIR HOSTAGE (73)
4. JESS MOVE YOU (64)
5. BRUCE ALLMTY (55)
6. KVN CORONA (45)
7. PYC FUN N FANCY (33)
8. JESS MY KISS (28)
9. DF AJ GREEN LEAVES (22)
10. IMPERIAL EAGLE (13)

UPTOWN DYNASTY (12), ZOOMIN FOR SPUDS (8), WAGON ON FIRE V (6), APOLLITICAL SCOUT (5), KIDDY UP COWGIRL (5), JESS BEIN THE HERO (4), A POLITICAL LADY (3), BODACIOUS EAGLE (3), EAGLE JAZZ (3), LIGHTEMUPWITHCHARM (2), FIRST OF 15 (1).

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS

1. BLUE CORAZON (84)
2. SUZE RETURNS (80)
3. LYNNDER 16 (79)
4. LONG WAGON HO (73)
5. WICKED AFFAIR (58)
6. ZEE JAMES (55)
7. (tie) GUIDRY PRIDE II (31)
7. (tie) JESS LET IT B (31)
9. SHAKESHAKESHAKEIT (14)
10. SC MONEY MAKER (11)

REGGIES BAILBOND (7), WOKATEE ON FIRE (7), SAUL (6), JEANIOLOGI (5), FLYING EAGLE 07 (4), THE GRAND LEGEND (2), EM BODACIOUS CHICK (1), FLASH AND ROLL (1), TEMPTINGSECRETFLY (1).

The integrity of American Quarter Horse racing is of utmost importance to AQHA. As part of a multifaceted effort to ensure integrity, AQHA has instituted a policy concerning awards and publicity that makes horses with racing medication positives and horses trained by trainers with racing medication positives ineligible for the AQHA Racing National Polls. CLICK HERE to read the complete policy.

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