AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION—JULY 25, 2019— here's nothing like a Grade 1 victory to capture the attention of AQHA Racing National Poll voters, and that feat propelled Uncle D to the top of the 2-year-old rankings and landed Eagle Coast at No. 2 in the older-horse poll.

On Sunday at Ruidoso Downs, Cavenaugh Quarter Horses LLC's Uncle D, a Utah-bred colt by Corona Cartel, scored an impressive 1-¼-length win in the $1 million Rainbow Futurity (G1) and that was enough to overtake Uptowne Babe as the top-ranked juvenile in North America in the latest poll. Uncle D, trained by Clint Crawford and ridden to victory at Ruidoso by Cody Rodger Smith, has won three of four starts with his only defeat being a second-place effort in the Heritage Place Futurity (G1) at Remington Park.

Uptowne Babe, the filly who beat Uncle D in that race in Oklahoma City, slid down to second in the poll with Ruidoso Futurity (G1) winner Fernweh now in third.

In the older-horse poll, Ernesto Palacio's Eagle Coast defeated Apocalyptical Jess in Saturday's $1,008,129 Rainbow Derby (G1) at Ruidoso Downs, but couldn't quite overtake that rival in the rankings. The Jose Muela-trained Eagle Coast, a Missouri-bred gelding by One Dashing Eagle, won the Rainbow by a neck under Sergio Becerra Jr. and jumped up to No. 2 in the poll behind Apocalyptical Jess.

The latter, who lost for the first time this year while running third in the Rainbow, already has an impressive body of work, with wins in the Ruidoso Derby (G1) and Remington Park Oklahoma Bred Derby (RG3). The two could meet again in the All American Derby (G1) trials at Ruidoso, with the final scheduled on Labor Day weekend.

Among the ranked horses expected to be in action this coming week are No. 5-ranked older horse Powerful Favorite in Saturday's Governor's Cup Derby (RG3) at Los Alamitos and No. 4-ranked 2-year-old Trump My Record in the TQHA Sale Futurity (RG2) at Retama Park.

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS AND OLDER

1. APOCALYPTICAL JESS (76)
2. EAGLE COAST (72)
3. POLITICAL ATTRACTION (65)
4. APOLLITICAL PENCE (45)
5. POWERFUL FAVORITE (42)
6. EYE N CAPO (27)
7. KATIES EASY MOVES (21)
8. LD IS BACK (14)
9. SANTANDER (12)
10. (tie) FIVE BAR STOLI (11)
10. (tie) VALIANT TIBERIAS (11)

DANJER (10), ZOOMIN FOR SPUDS (10), STONE COLD LEADER (5), HOOKED ON JORDAN (4), FIRE UP EAGLE (3), RYANSMANONTHEMOON (3), CURLS HAPPY WAGON (2), ONE RUTHLESS EAGLE (2), SAN LORENZO CORONA (2), JESS PROVED YOUWRONG (1), JESSTACARTEL (1), RARIN (1)

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS

1. UNCLE D (75)
2. UPTOWNE BABE (62)
3. FERNWEH (61)
4. (tie) FLOKIE (52)
4. (tie) TRUMP MY RECORD (52)
6. EC REVENGE (27)
7. RUNAWAY SECOND DOWN (23)
8. EXPEDYTE (16)
9. (tie) HOTSEMPTING (11)
9. (tie) TF SHEZ JESS DASHIN (11)

CHAYITO CARTEL (10), PERRYS SECRET (10), TDZ JET BLACK DOWN (8), WHY (7), DF MISCHIEVIOUS JESS (6), COLBY JAMES (4), DREAMS DIVINE (4), RETURN OF BROWN EYES (1).

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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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