Noosa Beach continues local winning trend

AUBURN, Wash. – Jockey Ricky Frazier knew the closers were coming.

“I certainly wasn’t going to turn around and look,” he said. “My horse was giving me everything he had already.”

And that was more than enough as favored Noosa Beach won the 75th running of the Longacres Mile on Sunday at Emerald Downs, beating Jersey Town by 1 1/2 lengths

Noosa Beach, a 4-year-old gelding, became the sixth straight local winner of the Grade III race that was worth $203,125. Doris Harwood, who has won more stakes (47) at Emerald Downs than any other trainer, won her first Longacres Mile. Her husband, Jeff, bred and owns the horse.

“I wasn’t nervous because he was pulling away, but I was wondering why he wasn’t switching (his lead foot),” Harwood said.

Unknown to Harwood, Noosa Beach had his right foot stepped on coming out of the gate. Still, Frazier had him in second place early behind Winning Machine. Frazier moved up next to Winning Machine on the backstretch, then pulled back again.

“I just wanted Winning Machine to know who was next to him,” Frazier said. “When I saw Winning Machine didn’t have much left at the three-eighths pole, I wanted to wait until I took the lead.”

Noosa Beach grabbed the lead before the stretch and started pulling away before Jersey Town and Assessment made late charges for second and third.

“I was getting nervous at the sixteenth pole,” Frazier said. “He didn’t have a lot left.”

Noosa Beach paid $5.60 to win and ran the mile in 1 minute, 34-4/5 seconds. He earned $96,250.

Kevin Krigger, who rode Jersey Town, said he got a perfect stalking position.

“He made his move on the leader, but by then (Noosa Beach) had already made a big lead,” Krigger said.

Assessment, who gave Howard Belvoir his second straight Mile win last year, rallied nicely after breaking from the No. 11 post.