AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION—JULY 18, 2018—This week’s AQHA Racing National Polls are virtually unchanged from the past week, but the potential for a shake-up looms this weekend with ranked horses slated to run in the Grade 1 Rainbow Futurity and Derby at Ruidoso Downs.

Saturday’s $801,564 Rainbow Derby will feature No. 5-ranked Jess Move You and No. 8-ranked DF AJ Green Leaves, both graded stakes winners this season. Jess Move You is the highest-ranked 3-year-old in the poll, which was again topped by 7-year-old Jessies First Down, a two-time Grade 1 winner this year and the sport’s two-time defending world champion.

In the 2-year-old poll, No. 1-ranked Blue Corazon, the winner of the Ruidoso Futurity (G1), will not run in the Rainbow after winning his trial but failing to qualify. No. 3-ranked Suze Returns, the runner-up to Blue Corazon in the Ruidoso Futurity, is the Rainbow’s overall fastest qualifier. None of the other finalists are ranked, but should one of those nine win the $1 million contest on Sunday, they would likely join the rankings next week.

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS AND OLDER

1. JESSIES FIRST DOWN (80)
2. HOLD AIR HOSTAGE (66)
3. BH LISAS BOY (62)
4. ZOOMIN FOR SPUDS (59)
5. JESS MOVE YOU (56)
6. BRUCE ALLMTY (41)
7. KVN CORONA (37)
8. DF AJ GREEN LEAVES (26)
9. PYC FUN N FANCY (22)
10. JESS MY KISS (13)

A POLITICAL LADY (7), IMPERIAL EAGLE (7), WAGON ON FIRE V (5), VALIANT ROGUE (4), APOLLITICAL SCOUT (2), BODACIOUS EAGLE (2), KIDDY UP COWGIRL (2), MYST FIT (2), JESS BEIN THE HERO (1), THERMONUCLEAR ENERGY (1).

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS

1. BLUE CORAZON (82)
2. WAVE HER DOWN (80)
3. SUZE RETURNS (74)
4. LONG WAGON HO (59)
5. LYNNDER 16 (54)
6. WICKED AFFAIR (48)
7. ZEE JAMES (35)
8. JESS FIRE CHICK (21)
9. JESS LET IT B (17)
10. GUIDRY PRIDE II (11)

SHAKESHAKESHAKEIT (8), FLYING EAGLE 07 (3), LETHAL LIL (1), SC MONEY MAKER (1), WOKATEE ON FIRE (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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