AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION—JANUARY 4, 2018—Following a year of some incredible performances in American Quarter Horse racing, it is perhaps fitting that both AQHA Racing National Polls ended with a tie for the top spot. In the rankings for 3-year-olds and up, Hold Air Hostage and Jessies First Down finished in a tie, as did Fly Baby Fly and J Fire Up in the 2-year-old rankings.

Hold Air Hostage, winner of the All American (G1), Rainbow (G1) and Heritage Place (G2) derbies this year, held the No. 1 spot for 14 straight weeks until Jessies First Down, the 2016 world champion, overtook him after winning the Zia Park Championship (G1) on November 22. Jessies First Down had earlier won the Bank of America Sam Houston Championship Challenge (G2), All American Gold Cup (G1) and Downs at Albuquerque Fall Quarter Horse Championship, and he ended his 2017 season on December 31 with a third-place finish in the Championship at Sunland Park (G1). The winner of that race, TF Im That Guy, debuted in the final poll in a tie for No. 8.

In the 2-year-old poll, Fly Baby Fly had been perched atop the rankings for several months after winning the All American Futurity (G1) on Labor Day, but J Fire Up closed the gap and ended on even terms after a campaign that included wins in the Los Alamitos Two Million (G1), Golden State Million (G1) and Governor’s Cup (RG2) futurities. The lone newcomer in the final poll was Despain GL, who entered at No. 9 after winning the Sunland Park Winter Juvenile Championship on December 31.

The AQHA Racing Poll is an unofficial survey of racing horsemen and media representatives from across the country. The AQHA Racing Champions Selection Committee will decide on the 2017 champions, and awards will be announced at the Racing Champions Ceremony on January 17 at Heritage Place in Oklahoma City.

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS AND OLDER

1. (tie) HOLD AIR HOSTAGE (94)
1. (tie) JESSIES FIRST DOWN (94)
3. HEZA DASHA FIRE (66)
4. MR PYC TO YOU (52)
5. BH LISAS BOY (43)
6. BODACIOUS EAGLE (36)
7. APOLLTICAL CHAD (35)
8. (tie) TF IM THAT GUY (28)
8. (tie) ZOOMIN EFFORTLESSLY (28)
10. TOUGH TO BEE (23)

THE FISCAL CLIFF (15), CHAZAQ (8), FLASH N BLING (8), MAGICAL JESS (6), ZOOMIN FOR SPUDS (6), HE LOOKS HOT (3), JESS GOOD REASON (3), HIGH PLAINS PERRY (1), TIME FOR JESS (1).

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS

1. (tie) FLY BABY FLY (91)
1. (tie) J FIRE UP (91)
3. EAGLE JAZZ (82)
4. KVN CORONA (67)
5. UPTOWN DYNASTY (61)
6. BIGG DADDY (38)
7. THECARTELOFMIRACLE (29)
8. NYMERIA (27)
9. DESPAIN GL (15)
10. YOU DRIVE I FLY (13)

DASHNUNDER AFULLMOON (11), LA VENCEDORA (10), THIS IS AN EAGLE (9), HOTSTEPPER (3), THREE BAR CARTEL (2), APOLLITICAL BROOKE (1).

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.