Link Newcomb’s remarkable 8-year-old gelding Cattail Cove will make his 58th career start, while taking on Gary Laramie’s AQHA champion aged mare Jessica Cruz in the $35,000 Azure Three Handicap at 220 yards on Saturday at Los Alamitos.
Cattail Cove and Jessica Cruz have won the Azure Three in the past, with Cattail Cove winning the 2022 running and Jessica Cruz being the defending champion of this race. A field of 10 will compete in the Azure Three.
Already a 13-time winner, Cattail Cove has enjoyed a great career that includes eight stakes victories at Los Alamitos, leaving him only two wins shy from becoming only the 17th horse with 10 stakes wins or more in 75-year history of Los Alamitos Race Course.
Notably, his first stakes win did not come until his 29th career start when winning the Independence Day Handicap in July of 2022. Since then, he has scored seven more stakes win from his last 28 outings. His appearance also includes 53 career starts in either a stakes trial or stakes race, which reflect his staying power of competing at the top levels in racing.
“He’s the longest horse I’ve ever had in my barn,” trainer Juan Aleman said. “I’ve had him since he was two. We broke him, we brought him along, he’s a special horse for the barn. I’m so thankful to Link for giving me the opportunity to train a horse like Cattail Cove. The horse has so much heart. It’s amazing to see him running at the level that he’s running at his age.”
The Azure Three has brought a lot of excitement to the barn of trainer Elena Andrade. In addition to saddling the defending Azure Three winner in Jessica Cruz, Andrade will also saddle Double Bar S Ranch’s Budderhomesngarden, the winner of the Abigail Kawananakoa Stakes earlier this year as well as being a three-time winner at 110 yards.
“Everyone in our barn has been talking about this race for a while now,” Andrade said. “We’ve been having fun with both on social media, and we’re excited to see them run against each other because they’ve both done so well at this type of distance. Jockey Rodrigo Aceves is always checking on his mount, Jessica Cruz. Meanwhile, jockey Cesar Franco has won five times aboard Budderhomesngarden and he’s excited to face Jessica Cruz and the other good horses in this race.”
The field will also feature Heza Good Reason, Ojd Jess A Bug, Yippee Ki Yey, Heavens Uncle, Special Two Corona, Sneaky Kid, and Winners Share.
