Originally published Sunday, May 16, 2010 at 8:15 PM

Noosa Beach ties marks in victory

The 4-year-old gelding, ridden by Ricky Frazier, won in 1 minute, 7 seconds, matching the Sept. 13 mark set by Atta Boy Roy, who recently won the $250,000 Grade II Churchill Downs Handicap.

By John B. Saul

Special to The Seattle Times

Noosa Beach put away a talented field in the $50,000 Seattle Handicap at Emerald Downs on Sunday, tying state and track records for 6 furlongs.

The 4-year-old gelding, ridden by Ricky Frazier, won in 1 minute, 7 seconds, matching the Sept. 13 mark set by Atta Boy Roy, who recently won the $250,000 Grade II Churchill Downs Handicap.

Doris Harwood, Noosa Beach's trainer, said she was "proud to even be in this field," which included the past two winners of the Longacres Mile, last year's winner of the Seattle Handicap and 10 horses that had 20 stakes wins among them.

Harwood not only won, she took second with Noosa Beach's stablemate, Winning Machine, ridden by Francisco Duran.

Noosa Beach paid $11.40 to win. Peaceful Reign and Kruger Park, last year's Seattle Handicap winner, ran one-two through most of the race and tied for third.

Frazier said Noosa Beach put him just behind the leaders where he waited "for someone to come running from behind." When that didn't happen, he decided he needed to "beat these front-runners first."

Harwood said she starts training in January and tries not to bring the horses on too fast. It has been a successful approach for the winner of 32 stakes races since 2007. She has 41 stakes victories at Emerald Downs, one behind trainer Bud Klokstad for most in track history.

"When you have talented horses, they make you look good," Harwood said.

She can take credit there as well. Harwood and her husband, Jeff, the horse's owner, are also the breeders of Noosa Beach. Sunday's win was Noosa Beach's sixth in 11 starts with earnings of $179,340. He also won stakes at ages 2, 3, and 4,

The Seattle Handicap is the first of four stakes leading to the 75th Grade III $250,000 Longacres Mile on Aug. 22, and that's where Harwood is aiming Noosa Beach.

"That's the dream of every breeder and owner out here," Harwood said.

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