CATTAIL COVE WINS THE INDEPENDENCE DAY HANDICAP FOR THE SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR
For the second year in a row, Link Newcomb’s Cattail Cove delivered his own brand of fireworks during the first weekend of July thanks to a tremendous finish to outduel Vic3tory LLC’s Stuck In Probate by a nose in the $25,000 Independence Day Handicap on Saturday at Los Alamitos.
In winning the Independence Day Handicap once again, the 6-year-old gelding Cattail Cove posted the third stakes win during a classy career in which he has competed in 26 stakes races while making 38 total starts. The Steve Burns-bred runner, who ran in the 2019 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity, earned $13,750 for the win to raise his lifetime earnings to $636,682.
Ridden by Victor Salazar and trained by Juan Aleman, Cattail Cove was fourth at the start of this 300-yard race while trailing the leader by a half-length. By the midway point, he was at his top speed and from there he finished best in a photo finish. He was also making his first start since running in the Kaweah Bar Handicap on April 29.
For Newcomb, Cattail Cove’s effort was worth all the efforts he made to be on-track to watch his prized horse run.
“For a horse who has had a little bit of a layoff, that was pretty remarkable,” Newcomb said. “It just shows that he is such a professional. He loves what he’s supposed to do. He doesn’t get worked up. I flew in just for this race and I have to take a flight at seven in the morning. I’m just here for the race. I’ll be at the Rainbow trials tomorrow at Ruidoso.”
Newcomb was at a bulldog show in Albuquerque, New Mexico during the day on Saturday before flying in just in time to enjoy as Cattail Cove successfully defended his Independence Day title.
“It was worth it,” Newcomb said.
Cattail Cove will now be pointed to the Restricted Grade 1, $100,000 Spencer Childers California Breeders Championship Handicap on the final weekend in July.
Ridden by Ruben Lozano for trainer Valentin Zamudio, Stuck In Probate earned $5,625 for running second. Ed Allred’s Up The Ladder earned $3,125 for running third with Jonathan Roman up for trainer Scott Willoughby. Rocket Seventeen, Nevada Charles, and Marcelo completed the field.
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