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AQHA Racing National Polls Remain Unchanged This Week
AQHA's Racing National Polls were both unchanged this week after a quiet weekend of stakes races.

AQHA Racing National Polls Remain Unchanged This Week

AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION—OCTOBER 3, 2018—The AQHA Racing National Polls for 2-year-olds and older horses were both unchanged this week after a quiet weekend of stakes races, but a full slate of graded events this coming weekend has the potential to influence next week’s rankings.

Even so, the leader of each poll – Jessies First Down in the older horse rankings and Apocalyptical Jess in the 2-year-old poll – look to be firmly entrenched at least until some of the Grade 1 stakes later this year.

Only one ranked horse – No. 9 Jess Move You in the older horse poll – is expected to compete this weekend, but there are six graded races at Los Alamitos, Lone Star Park and Zia Park with each track set to feature a futurity and a derby.

Jess Move You, winner of the Ruidoso Derby (G1) in June, is the morning line favorite in Sunday’s Hobbs America Derby (G3) at Zia Park and could move up in the rankings with a victory. Zia will also present the Hobbs America Futurity (G2) on the same card.

In Texas, the Dash For Cash Futurity (G2) and Derby (G3) will be held on Saturday at Lone Star Park. Even if the winners of those races don’t break through into the top 10 rankings, the Grade 1 Texas Classic Futurity and Derby later in the meet are likely to affect the polls.

At Los Alamitos, J Fire Up, who last year ended up in a tie at the top of the 2-year-old rankings with Fly Baby Fly, is set to run in the PCQHRA Breeders' Derby (G3) on Friday in search of her first stakes win this year. The PCQHRA Breeders' Futurity (G2) is set for Saturday.

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS AND OLDER

  1. JESSIES FIRST DOWN (90)
  2. BH LISAS BOY (83)
  3. HOTSTEPPER (78)
  4. HOLD AIR HOSTAGE (56)
  5. ZOOMIN FOR SPUDS (47)
  6. BODACIOUS EAGLE (43)
  7. HEZA DASHA FIRE (37)
  8. TARZANITO (30)
  9. JESS MOVE YOU (23)
  10. JESS RAVIN (14)

KVN CORONA (10), DF AJ GREEN LEAVES (8), FLY BABY FLY (8), BRUCE ALLMTY (7), JESSTACARTEL (5), WAGON ON FIRE V (5), PAPAWS PAINT (4), RARIN (1).

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS

  1. APOCALYPTICAL JESS (100)
  2. MM FOURINTHEMORNING (84)
  3. WAVE HER DOWN (73)
  4. BLUE CORAZON (65)
  5. IM JESS SPECIAL V (498)
  6. SUZE RETURNS (46)
  7. LYNNDER 16 (33)
  8. LONG WAGON HO (28)
  9. WICKED AFFAIR (26)
  10. JESS FIRE CHICK (16)

OWERFUL FAVORITE (10), DANJER (8), MPSHINNING (3), ZEE JAMES (3), MR COAHUILA (2), RAPPID (2), FLYING EAGLE 07 (1), LEGEND OF THE VINE (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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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 aqha.com/racing.