The American Quarter Horse Journal, July 7, 2011 – Sizzlin Cartel set a 350-yard track record in Saturday’s Firecracker Futurity (G2) at Delta Downs, earning him a No. 8 ranking in the latest AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top 10 poll for 2-year-olds. He was one of two Delta Downs-based juveniles to make a national splash this week, joining Sunday’s Lee Berwick Memorial Futurity (RG1) winner Little Bit Trashy, who debuted at No. 10.
Sizzlin Cartel lowered the 350-yard standard to :17.218 behind a romping, 1 1/2-length win in the Firecracker Futurity. Runner-up in the Harrah’s Entertainment Futurity (G3) final at Louisiana Downs earlier this year, Sizzlin Cartel has now won three of five lifetime starts.
Little Bit Trashy set a Lee Berwick Memorial Futurity stakes-record time of :17.231 for 350 yards, winning for the third time in four career starts while taking on fellow Louisiana-bred runners.
Meanwhile, this Friday’s Rainbow Futurity (G1) trials at Ruidoso Downs will feature three of the top-ranked juveniles in the nation in this week’s poll, No. 3 Mighty B Valiant, No. 4 Silver For Me and No. 9 JLS Party Wagon. Separate Fire maintains the top spot in the 2-year-old poll as July is unveiled, while Rylees Boy remained No. 1 among pollsters in the rankings for horses 3 and older.
The only minor changes in the poll for older horses this week came when Capo De Capi dropped just outside the Top 10, raising No. 9 Streakin Down and No. 10 Stolis Winner up a spot, respectively, from a week ago. A victory by former world champion Freaky in Los Alamitos’ Independence Day Handicap was not enough for pollsters to return him to the national Top 10 this week.
NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS:
1. SEPARATE FIRE (89)
2. HIGH RATE OF RETURN (79)
3. MIGHTY B VALIANT (73)
4. SILVER FOR ME (62)
5. JESS TEE OFF (47)
6. ADOLPH TRES KNOCKOUT (39)
7. OSBALDO (23)
8. SIZZLIN CARTEL (22)
9. JLS PARTY WAGON (17)
10. LITTLE BIT TRASHY (9)
Back In The Pack (8), Sammy James (5), Fixin To Fly (4), Ranch Candy (4), Ochoa (3), Fire Moon Lady (2), Preacher James (1), Feature Mr Bojangles (1)
NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS & UP:
1. RYLEES BOY (89)
2. LOUISIANA SENATOR (77)
3. LLANO TELLER (70)
4. SNITCHER (46)
5. JLS MR BIGTIME (35)
6. GOOD REASON SA (31)
7. PROSPECT TO THE TOP (29)
8. FREIGHTTRAIN B (28)
9. STREAKIN DOWN (22)
10. STOLIS WINNER (15)
Capo De Capi (14), Noconi (11), The Louisiana Cartel (8), Fredaville (7), Stylish Jess BR (4), A Tincup Cocktail (3), Strike It Quick (3), Texas Icon (2), Freaky (1), PK Fire (1)
The nine 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)
Jerry Shottenkirk (Q-Racing Ace, handicapper/oddsmaker)
Jeremy Plonk (ESPN.com contributor)
Terry Turrell (Horseplayernow.com handicapper)
Ty Wyant (writer, Daily Racing Form and AQHA)
American Quarter Horse Association
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