Winning the Longacres Mile is a tall order.
That is the feat facing a tall horse, Noosa Beach.
The dark brown gelding is training to become only the third horse in 76 years to win the Longacres Mile, Grade 3, back-to-back.
The 5-year-old Washington-bred son of Harbor The Gold won the 2010 mile. Noosa Beach has strung together seven consecutive winner’s circle photos beginning with the 2010 Mt. Rainier Handicap and most recently capturing the 2011 edition of the $50,000 Mt. Rainier Handicap July 24.
The next stop for the long striding thoroughbred will be a spot in the starting gate Aug. 21 in the $200,000 Longacres Mile. Trainer Doris Harwood expects the competition to be intense, but believes her horse is ready to repeat.
“He’s a once in a lifetime horse,” Harwood said. “And this is his peak year at 5 years old.”
Harwood and her husband Jeff bred Noosa Beach to their mare Julia Rose. The couple own a 6-acre farm near Reber Ranch on the border of Kent and Auburn.
Doris Harwood said her husband handles the job of figuring out the breeding, and he ran the table with Noosa Beach.
The story of the birth of Noosa Beach is the classic stuff dreams are made of from the backside of the track.
Julia Rose was hurt as a weanling and never made it to the races.
She was a good producing mare with all of her foals making it to the track, but to dream she would give birth to a runner like Noosa Beach was just that, a backside dream.
Jeff Harwood’s plan was to breed Julia Rose to the aging stallion Tiffany Ice, but Harbor The Gold came on the scene. He was unproven, but Jeff Harwood saw his breeding and took a chance.
As a 2-year-old, Doris Harwood didn’t know what was in store for her horse. In his first race he ran in a maiden claiming race for $12,500, where he could have been purchased by anyone who decided to plop down the cash.
“He won by many lengths,” Harwood said. “That’s the last time he ran for a price.”
The trainer said Noosa Beach “blossomed as a 4 year old and he was nearly unbeatable.”
His only loss in 2010 came in the $50,000 Governor’s Handicap to 2009 Longacres Mile winner Assessment.
“He didn’t see Assessment coming,” Doris Harwood said.
He has not lost a race since, and he beat Assessment this year in the Governor’s.
In the Mt. Rainier this year Noosa Beach carried the high weight of 126 pounds, and coming out of the far turn it appeared for a moment he might not catch the leader, Winning Machine.
The trainer said once Mitchell asked him, the long strides and determination took Noosa Beach to the lead.
At about 17 hands and more than 1,300 pounds, the Harwoods have a lot of horse to be proud of raising and racing.
Doris Harwood started out in the business as a jockey, but knew it was not her lifetime calling.
“I learned a lot about racing (as a jockey),” Harwood said. “It taught me how to train.”
After years of training, she knows what special gift a horse like Noosa Beach is.
“He’s good for horse racing,” she said. “He’s good for our industry and we are proud.”
Lifetime Noosa Beach has won 14 of 20 starts earning $480,722.
Doris Harwood said Enumclaw jockey Gallyn Mitchell will be in the saddle for the mile.
LONGACRES MILE: AT A GLANCE
• WHAT: 76th running of the $200,000 Longacres Mile (G3)
• WHEN: Sunday, Aug. 21. 2 p.m.
• WHERE: Emerald Downs
• ADMISSION: $7, which includes access to the first five levels of the stadium, the Paddock and Park. Children 17-and-under get in free. Children 13-and-under must be accompanied by parent or guardian.
• PARKING: Parking in general admission is free. Preferred parking $7; Valet parking $10
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