THE AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE JOURNAL—MARCH 17, 2010—The season’s second AQHARacing.com-Horseplayernow.com national poll for 2011 saw a trio of horses debut in the rankings as pollsters begin to settle in on the early season talent. But the top of the poll remained firm with Good Reason SA nearly a unanimous choice at No. 1.

Among the poll newcomers is West Texas Maturity (G2) upset winner A Tincup Cocktail, who checked in this week at No. 5. Also at Sunland Park, Jenuine Joy parlayed Sunday’s win in the Restricted Grade 2 Mesilla Valley Speed Handicap into an early season No. 7 ranking.

Meanwhile, Skyline Lover won Saturday’s SLM Big Daddy Stakes at Remington Park to advance to three-for-three on the year and earn a No. 8 spot in the poll. Skyline Lover already is a three-time stakes winner in 2011, having won Hialeah Park’s Moonstone and Sailfish stakes.

The national panel of experts voting in the AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com national poll now includes Jerry Shottenkirk, a member of the AQHA’s Q-Racing Aces team of fan educators and the official track morning line maker for Remington Park. Shottenkirk also is an AQHA and Thoroughbred analyst for Horseplayernow.com.

The poll is released each Wednesday throughout the rest of 2011 and the weekly 2-year-old rankings will debut in May.

National Rankings, 3-Year-Olds & Older

1. Good Reason SA (86)
2. Oatman (81)
3. Stylish Jess BR (61)
4. Louisiana Senator (54)
5. A Tincup Cocktail (29)
6. Harems Last Dash (28)
7. Jenuine Joy (23)
8. Skyline Lover (22)
9. Jess You And I (19)
10. Quatro Menudos (16)

Whole Lot Of Karma (13), Freighttrain B (13), Streakin Down (12), Strike It Quick (12), Freaky (7), Chi Ter (4), A Tempting Dash (4), Noconi (3), The Goodbye Kisser (2), Hoist Mission (2), Spit Curl Diva (2), XO Kate (2), Fredaville (1).

The nine voters are:

Ed Burgart (Los Alamitos announcer/handicapper), Martha Claussen (writer/handicapper), Mike Cusortelli (writer/handicapper), Tom Dawson (network television producer), Dale Day (Remington Park announcer/handicapper), Mike Joyce (TVG analyst), Jeremy Plonk (ESPN.com contributor), Terry Turrell (Horseplayernow.com handicapper) and Ty Wyant (writer, Daily Racing Form and AQHA).

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications: The American Quarter Horse Journal and America's Horse.