Cattail Cove will be looking for his fourth stakes victory of the year in the First Down Dash Handicap on Saturday at Los Alamitos.

© Los Alamitos

By Orlando Gutierrez

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–DECEMBER 18, 2025–Link Newcomb’s Cattail Cove will make his 60th career start when he defends his title in the Grade 3, $30,000 First Down Dash Handicap in Saturday’s eighth race at Los Alamitos. The 8-year-old star will also look for his fourth stakes victory of the year and the ninth of his brilliant career.

Cattail Cove won the 2024 First Down Dash by a neck before scoring stakes win in this year’s Moonist, Independence Day and Restricted Grade 1 Spencer Childers California Breeders Championship Handicap. In the 400-yard First Down Dash, Cattail Cove will take on a field that includes Parsons Ranch’s Kaweah Bar Handicap winner Kevins Wise Corona and Michael McKell and Casey Whitaker’s RLH Fouronthefloor, who in his first Los Alamitos outing finished third to Jeriko and Empressum in their trial to the Champion of Champions. RLH Fouronthefloor finished ahead of the outstanding Cattail Cove in that race. As for Cattail Cove, he’ll be going after his 14th career win. Martin Arriaga will pilot the Juan Aleman-trained gelding by Favorite Cartel from post number three.

Kevins Wise Corona, who was fifth in that same trial as RLH Fouronthefloor and Cattail Cove, will start from post number six, while the James J. Gonzales II’s trained RLH Fouronthefloor has drawn the outside post number eight. Joseph Belloc, Jr., a new face at Los Alamitos but an experienced rider with 151 Quarter Horse wins in his career, will ride RLH Fouronthefloor.

Ed Allred’s Boardwalk, who was second in the Spencer Childers, and 2024 Governor’s Cup Derby winner Mask Mandate are among the other top runners in this race. Edberg Verde, Jess Being A Friend and Special Two Corona will complete the field.

DEFENDING CHAMP LOOKS TO CLOSE OUT SOPHOMORE SEASON IN STYLE

Ed Allred’s Defending Champ, who has been one of the best and most consistent sophomores at Los Alamitos this year, will look to close out his 2025 campaign with a victory in the $22,000 A Ransom Handicap in the seventh race here on Saturday night.

Defending Champ has nine starts this season, winning five of those outings including the Governor’s Cup Derby. He also qualified to a pair of other derbies, running second in both the Grade 2 El Primero Del Ano Derby and Grade 2 Golden State Derby. To be ridden by Gabriel Lara for trainer Scott Willoughby, Defending Champ is also among division’s most powerful finishers, including impressive come-from-behind wins in the trials to the El Primero and Governor’s Cup. The Favorite Cartel gelding will start from post number four.

Edward Melzer Revocable Trust’s Clareets Boy will start from post number one in search of his first stakes win of the year. The son of Flying Cowoby 123 has finished second in a couple of stakes events this year, running second to AQHA champion Lethal Cowboy 123 in the Sgt Pepper Feature and second to Jo Rae Burns’ Astronomical 123 in the Town Policy Handicap. Justine Klaiber will pilot him for trainer Eddie Willis.

Leto Land & Cattle’s Eyesa Wagon My Tale, who raced in the Oaks at Lone Star and Remington Park, will make her Los Alamitos debut in this race for trainer Marc Jungers. Sandra Lee Ambus’ Kid Cocinero, the top Paint Horse on the grounds, will also be in action in this event. Cowboy Bolt and Special Batch round out the field.

THE RACE FOR THE LOS ALAMITOS TITLES IN 2025

A couple of leading jockey and trainer titles are still up for grabs during this final week of the 2025 season. In the Quarter Horse rider standings Henry Reynoso Lopez holds a two-win lead over Cruz Mendez 44 to 42. Reynoso Lopez is aiming for his first Quarter Horse riding title. Scott Willoughby enters the week with 39 wins, four more than Jose Flores. Willoughby is looking for his second Quarter Horse training title. In the Quarter Horse owner standings, Ed Allred is the runaway leader with 46 wins.

In the Mixed-breed standings, Edgar Payeras has a five-win lead over Ricardo Ramirez 51 to 46. Jesus Uranga will be the leading Mixed-breed trainer with 31 wins. He will also be the leading owner with 17 victories. In the Thoroughbred ranks, Payeras has had a lock on the title for a few months now with 37 wins, more than doubling Ramirez’s 17 wins in this division. Meanwhile, the race for Thoroughbred leading trainer is the closest one going with Sergio Morfin holding a one-win lead over Angela Aquino 21-20. Aquino is currently the leading owner with 10 wins, two more than Mike Flory and Uranga.

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