Cattail Cove, Mental Error in sharp form for Southern California Derby

Mental Error and Cattail Cove finished second and fourth in the $1,052,350 Los Alamitos Super Derby on Nov. 8, a result flattered when race winner Tell Cartel finished second in the $600,000 Champion of Champions against older horses Dec. 12.

Mental Error and Cattail Cove followed the Super Derby with wins in divisions of the Southern California Derby time trials on Nov. 29. Even with their outstanding form in November, the pair are only two of several leading contenders in the Southern California Derby, the final major Quarter Horse race of the year in California.

The $154,550 Southern California Derby drew such notable runners as Nomadic, winner of the Governor’s Cup Derby in July; Circle City, who won the Golden State Derby in August; as well as Just Be Real, Kiss Thru Fire, Old School Icon, Southern Wagon, and Up for Speed, who have finished second or third in major races for 3-year-olds this year.

The field also includes Runforyourlife, who won the Golden State Million Futurity in November 2019.

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Cattail Cove, trained by Juan Aleman for Link Newcomb, beat Old School Icon by a nose in the first of five trials on Nov. 29, setting the fastest qualifying time of 19.79 seconds. In addition to his fourth in the Super Derby, Cattail Cove was third in the All American Invitational, the consolation for the All American Derby, at Ruidoso Downs on Sept. 6.

The trial race victory on Nov. 29 ended an eight-race losing streak for Cattail Cove since a win in a division of the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity trials in November 2019. Cattail Cove was second in the Two Million final.

Aleman also starts Kiss Thru Fire, a filly who qualified by winning a trial in 19.90 by a neck over Circle City. Runforyourlife was third in that trial, a nose behind Circle City.

Circle City is one of four finalists trained by Scott Willoughby for Los Alamitos track owner Ed Allred. They also start Just Be Real, Nomadic, and Up For Speed.

Nomadic finished second by a nose to Southern Wagon in the trials as the 7-10 favorite and has drawn the outside post Sunday. Nomadic was upset in the gate prior to the start of the trial. He failed to qualify for the Los Alamitos Super Derby after breaking poorly in a trial race on Oct. 17.

Nomadic is likely to draw support Sunday, but a clean break will be vital against a very strong field.