Cattail Cove and jockey Martin Arriaga surge to the wire to capture the Grade 3 Kaweah Bar Handicap at Los Alamitos on April 25.

© William Zuazo

By Orlando Gutierrez

CYPRESS, CA–APRIL 25, 2026– They call him "The Old Timer" of Los Alamitos for a reason. In a performance that defied his age and celebrated the very essence of the "iron horse" spirit, Link Newcomb’s 9-year-old Cattail Cove captured the Grade 3, $40,000 Kaweah Bar Handicap on Saturday night in one of the most dramatic finishes of the season.

Making his 61st career start and his fifth attempt at this specific trophy, the Steve Burns-bred gelding proved that class is permanent. Breaking from the rail under jockey Martin Arriaga, the son of Favorite Cartel engaged in a race to remember with the game Winners Share.

In a thrilling finish with both runners lunging at the wire, Cattail Cove poked his nose in front to stop the clock in :17.524 for the 350 yards. Previously, Cattail Cove had finished second in the 2022 Kaweah Bar and third in 2024 among his four prior appearances in this race.

The winning connections of Cattail Cove accept the $40,000 Kaweah Bar Handicap trophy at Los Alamitos on Saturday. © William Zuazo

The Iron Horse

The victory was steeped in historical irony. The race is named for Kaweah Bar, a legendary iron horse who started 114 times. It was only fitting that Cattail Cove, making his 59th start over the Cypress racing surface, would finally claim the title in his fifth try.

The win also marked Cattail Cove’s ninth career stakes victory and pushed his lifetime earnings to $855,432. His consistency over the last eight years at the Orange County oval remains unrivaled; he has now finished in the top three in 39 of his Los Alamitos outings. Under the conditioning of trainer Juan Aleman, the veteran looked anything but his age in the paddock, showing the same fire that saw him finish as the runner-up in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity way back in 2019.

Thunders and Thrills

Owner Link Newcomb, who made a last-minute flight to witness his horse’s conquering moment, was visibly moved by the performance.

"I was in Phoenix for the Oklahoma City Thunder game but flew in just in time to watch this race," said Newcomb, an Oklahoma native. "I'm happy I did. This is unbelievable. Of course, I've never started a nine-year-old, so you don't what you're going to get. I said in the paddock that his coat, his eyes, he looked as young as a seven-year-old. I couldn't be any happier and thrilled. (Martin Arriaga) did a great job. Juan said that he's never had a horse in his barn for these many years. It's wild. We paid him late for the Vessels Maturity. That will be next. I'm trying not to think ahead. He's so special, I'm trying just to enjoy the moment."

Cattail Cove earned $22,000 for the victory, and with a late payment already made for the Vessels Maturity trials on Sunday, June 7, the "Old Timer" is not ready to retire his jersey just yet. At an age where most racing superstars are long settled into retirement, Cattail Cove continues to teach the youngsters at Los Alamitos exactly how it’s done.

A Share of the Spoils

While all eyes were on the veteran, Steve Burns’ Winners Share ran a massive race to just miss, finishing second for trainer Mike Casselman. With Ruben Lozano up, Winners Share briefly held the lead at the start before Cattail Cove wrestled it away. The 5-year-old gelding by Separate Interest made a strong late push, but the night belonged to the rail runner. Winners Share, an allowance winner earlier this year, earned $9,000 for his runner-up effort and has now finished in the top two in 15 of his 30 career starts. His career bankroll now stands at $91,088.

Ed Allred’s Cheater and Francos Ranch and Mario Tellez Montiel’s Show N Tell Cartel, both stakes-winning veterans, finished third and fourth, respectively. CM Jesse B A Cowboy and Fire Tools 123 completed the field. Jess Being A Friend was scratched earlier in the day.

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