Cattail Cove is just one of 10 ageless start vying for another stakes victory in the Grade 3, $40,000 Kaweah Bar Handicap on Saturday at Los Alamitos.

© William Zuazo

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–APRIL 24, 2024–A rematch of the Moonist Handicap and the return to action of ageless stars Cattail Cove and You Can Run will headline the running of the Grade 3, $40,000 Kaweah Bar Handicap on Saturday at Los Alamitos.

The top five finishers in the Moonist are all coming back for the Kaweah Bar at 350 yards with Parsons Family Limited Partnership’s Terrific Phoenix hoping for a repeat of his Moonist victory.

Jeryl Hartley’s Hes Chickless, a multiple stakes winner last year and already a graded stakes finalist in 2024, are among the other Moonist returnees that also include Chivalry, who was second in the Moonist, plus third and fourth place finishers Mahomes Magic and El Aventurero.

Terrific Phoenix was just like his name says on the night of the Moonist. The gelding by Fly Thru The Fire was fifth at the start of the race, but he got rolling shortly after and was unstoppable from there, as he took the lead with about 100 yards to go and then held off Chivalry by a head. Trained by Paul Jones, Terrific Phoenix picked up his first stakes victory on that night but he’s also two for two so far this season. Victor Salazar will ride the Parsons-bred runner out of the great broodmare Terrific Energy.

Trained by Sergio Morfin, the now 4-year-old Hes Chickless won the El Primero Del Ano Derby and the A Ransom Handicap last year while racing 12 times during his sophomore campaign. He ran fourth in the Grade 1 Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship in February before running a better than looked fifth in the Moonist Handicap on March 17.

He wasn’t the fastest out of the gate in the Moonist, but after a strong surge to the midway point, he had the against his strong rivals.

The race became a dogfight in the final 50 yards and Hes Chickless just didn’t have enough late as he was fifth behind Terrific Phoenix and company. The horse by Hes Relentless will aim for his 10th victory in his 24-career start.

Ed Allred’s Chivalry ran an outstanding race from gate to wire in the Moonist. He was among the leaders early on and he maintained his speed the entire way and just missed against the late flying Terrific Phoenix. The other Moonist returnees are Mahomes Magic, who a ton of Grade 1 stakes experience, and El Aventurero, who won the First Down Dash Handicap last year and finished strongly to edge past Hes Chickless for fourth in the Moonist.

Link Newcomb’s Cattail Cove will be making his 45th start and 32nd appearance in a stakes race in his career. The son of Favorite Cartel, who has earned $664,620, will hope that third time is the charm in the Kaweah Bar.

His best effort in this race was a second-place finish in the 2022 running. Burns Ranch’s You Can Run, winner of the Grade 1 Go Man Go Handicap in 2020, has enjoyed a renaissance in 2024 with back-to-back allowance victories this year. Mike Casselman will saddle the eight-time winner.

Howard Nichols' Jess Being A Friend, winner of the A Ransom Handicap in 2022, Jose Aguilar’s BH Free Drop Billy, winner of the Blane Schvaneveldt Stakes last year, and the Grade 1 stakes placed runner Normandy will complete the field.

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For more info' please contact larace@losalamitos.com. Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @losalracing or visit us online at www.losalamitos.com.