(Emerald Downs/Erin Palmer Photos: Noosa Beach is No.1! Carrying a record 126 lbs., Noosa Beach wins the Mt. Rainier Handicap and is No. 1 all-time with 11 stakes wins at Emerald Downs. Winning Machine finished second and Assessment finished third. July 24, 2011)

NOOSA BEACH NO. 1 AT EMERALD DOWNS
CARRIES 126 LBS TO VICTORY IN MT. RAINIER

AUBURN, Wash. (July 24, 2011) – Noosa Beach etched his name into the record books Sunday at Emerald Downs with a hard-earned half-length victory over Winning Machine in the $50,000 Mt. Rainier Handicap.

Carrying a record 126 lbs, the 5-year-old Washington-bred ran one mile and one-sixteenth in 1:41.13 on a fast track and paid $2.60, $2.10 and $2.10. Gallyn Mitchell had riding honors for trainer Doris Harwood and owner Jeff Harwood of Kent, Wash.

With the victory, Noosa Beach moved past Handy N Bold into sole possession of first place all-time in Emerald Downs’ stakes wins with 11. The defending Horse of the Meeting also joined Flamethrowintexan and Poker Brad as repeat winners of the Mt. Rainier, and stamped himself squarely as the horse to beat in the $200,000 Longacres Mile (G3) on Sunday, Aug. 21.

Noosa Beach has won 10 of his last 11 starts, at distances ranging 5-½ furlongs to 1-1/8 miles, and the defending Longacres Mile champion is undefeated in four career starts at one mile. By Harbor the Gold-Julia Rose, Noosa Beach has a lifetime mark of 14-3-2 in 20 starts with earnings of $480,722. At Emerald Downs his record is 13-3-1 in 18 starts with $421,555 in earnings.

Unlike most of his victories, this one remained in doubt until the final yards as Noosa Beach finally edged away from his old nemesis and stable mate Winning Machine. In third place on the last turn, Noosa Beach rallied three deep into contention, collared Winning Machine past mid-stretch and held sway to the wire.

Winning Machine, ridden by Leslie Mawing at 117 lbs., paid $3.20 and $2.40.

Assessment, the only horse to defeat Noosa Beach the last two seasons, was 1-½ lengths farther back in third place. The 5-to-1 second choice ridden by Juan Gutierrez at 118 lbs., Assessment paid $2.20.

Saratoga Boot and Davos completed the order of finish.

Allowed to set relatively soft fractions of :23.94, :47.65 and 1:10.88, Winning Machine had something left when Noosa Beach and Mitchell came a calling three deep into the stretch.

“There was a lot of pressure to win today, especially since we were spotting the field nine pounds,” Mitchell said. “Luckily, (Noosa Beach) is such a big horse that the weight didn’t bother him.

“I thought that somebody else would go to the lead because they had to try something to beat my horse. I just wanted to make sure not to take Noosa Beach out of his game. He knows what his job is. The leaders were going pretty easy up front, but I just bided my time. When I got the lead, the other horses never came back to me. I think he’s on top of his game.”

Although she’s accustomed to watching her horse throttle the opposition, Doris Harwood said she was pleased with the effort by Noosa Beach. Especially since he was able to rate off both Winning Machine and Assessment.

“When you’re in front at the wire, that’s a good effort,” Harwood said. “He can run, and he has the heart to finish.”