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Voters Come Around to JM Miracle
JM Miracle forged ahead in balloting for the No. 1 spot in this week's AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Poll , 98-97, over Kiss My Hocks.

© Gay Harris / Ruidoso Downs
Voters Come Around to JM Miracle

AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION—SEPTEMBER 17, 2014—While the Top 10 juveniles in this week's AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Poll did not change, there was significant movement at the top. All American Futurity (G1) winner JM Miracle forged ahead in balloting for the No. 1 spot, 98-97, over Kiss My Hocks, winner of the Sam Houston Futurity (G2) and Ruidoso Futurity (G1).

JM Miracle's Labor Day victory at Ruidoso Downs came under scrutiny when both he and a stablemate on the undercard failed to return to the winner’s circle, although both horses appeared fine the next day. JM Miracle qualified for all three major futurity finals at Ruidoso this season, finishing second to Kiss My Hocks in the Ruidoso Futurity (G1) before a troubled start cost him in an eighth-place run in the Rainbow Futurity (G1).

As for the older horses, Moonist moved up two spots this week to No. 3. The three-time major Derby finals winner recently qualified for a fourth in trials for the PCQHRA Breeders' Derby at Los Alamitos. He's one of a trio of sophomores topping the charts, led by All American Derby (G1) hero Too Flash For You and Rainbow Derby (G1) winner Houdini. There were no changes this week to the body of the Top 10 rankings among the 3-year-olds and older.

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS

  1. JM MIRACLE (98)
  2. KISS MY HOCKS (97)
  3. HEZA DASHA FIRE (88)
  4. TRENDI (84)
  5. LOVETHEWAYYOULIE (57)
  6. PAINT ME PERRY (39)
  7. MAD ABOUT THE MOON (38)
  8. OLD GIRL (31)
  9. BODACIOUS EAGLE (25)
  10. SAM CROW (9)

BF Farm Boss (8), Gotta Run Miss (5), Apollitical Blood (5), Game (4), PYB Place Your Bet (4), BV Travelin Soldier (3), Hezadashinbye (3), Exquisite Stride (2), Boi George (2), Eagle On The Fly (2), Hemps Jumpn Lajolla (1), Count De Monet (1), AJs High (1).

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS

  1. TOO FLASH FOR YOU (103)
  2. HOUDINI (86)
  3. MOONIST (73)
  4. NELLIE DELANEY (68)
  5. BON ACCORD (67)
  6. DM STREAKN THRU FIRE (46)
  7. FAR NIENTE (45)
  8. VIVA ME CORAZON (28)
  9. ROCK YOU (26)
  10. FIVE BAR CARTEL (23)

Llano Cartel (10), Jody Pops Zoomer (6), One Valiant Hero (6), Jesscuzican (5), Zoomin Away (4), Feature Mr Who (4), Wahoo (2), TF Featured Effort (1), This Dude Can Fly (1), Stimulus (1).

The 11 voters are:
Ed Burgart (Los Alamitos announcer/handicapper), Martha Claussen (Q-Racing Ace, writer/handicapper), Mike Cusortelli (writer/handicapper), Tom Dawson (Q-Racing Ace, network television producer), Dale Day (Remington Park announcer/handicapper), Ben Hudson (TRACK Magazine Owner/Publisher), Mike Joyce (TVG analyst), Jeremy Plonk (Night School co-founder/host), Jerry Shottenkirk (Horseplayernow.com, handicapper/oddsmaker), Terry Turrell (Horseplayernow.com handicapper) and Ty Wyant (writer, Daily Racing Form and AQHA).

AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHARacing on Twitter, watch the AQHA Racing Newscast and visit www.aqharacing.com.