Winning Machine, voted Top 3-Year-Old at the 2009 meeting, served notice Sunday that he means business as a 5-year-old in 2011.
Trained by Frank Lucarelli for owners Raymond Kwik of Spokane and Paul Goldberg of Westport, Conn., Winning Machine paid $9.60, $5.20 and $3. The winner ran six furlongs in 1:09.13 on a fast track.
He’s All Heart, ridden by Gallyn Mitchell, held second place and paid $5.40 and $3.20. It was another half-length back to Assessment, ridden by Juan Gutierrez , and a $2.40 show payoff. Boundtogetbusy, Wasserman, Margo’s Gift and Our Minesweeper completed the order of finish.
Designed as a steppingstone to the $50,000 Governor’s Handicap at 6 ½ furlongs on May 22, Sunday’s race attracted an elite field of handicap division runners with one notable exception: Noosa Beach. The 2010 Longacres Mile winner is stabled at Emerald Downs but made his 2011 debut Friday at Hastings Racecourse with an impressive victory in the $50,000 George Royal Stakes.
Trainer Doris Harwood said Noosa Beach is being pointed to the Governor’s where he figures to faces his former stablemate, Winning Machine, who began his career in the Harwood barn.
Sunday, Winning Machine assumed a stalking position, in fourth place, as Boundtogetbusy led in fractions of :22.32 and :44.75. He’s All Heart gained a short lead into the lane, but Winning Machine gained the lead past mid-stretch and won going away.
“The plan was to sit off the pace, because we knew He’s All Heart and Boundtogetbusy would be going to the front,” Mawing said. “I had a lot of horse.”
A Kentucky-bred by Toccet, Winning Machine has a 6-4-3 record in 20 starts with earnings of $309,176. He won three stakes at Emerald Downs in 2009, the same year he also defeated Noosa Beach and Jersey Town in the British Columbia Derby at Hastings Racecourse.
NOTES: The track condition was listed wet-fast the first three races and upgraded to fast for races 4-to-9…Oregon-bred Quarter horse Cosmic Clash ($9.20) led gate-to-wire to win the first mixed breed event of the season in :47.09 for 870 yards. Statistics for Quarter horses and mixed breed races, incidentally, are kept separately from Thoroughbred events. For example, Deborah Hoonan-Trujiilo, who rode both Cosmic Clash and second-race winner De Cantina, received credit for one Quarter horse win and one Thoroughbred win…H H Harbor, a first-time starter trained by Tim McCanna romped by 11 ½ lengths in the fourth and was claimed for $7,500 in a three-way shake by trainer Chris Stenslie for owner One Horse Will Do Corp. The 3-year-old Harbor the Gold filly ran five furlongs in :57.89 seconds…Trainer Gary Morris Jr. saddled two winners including a $19.20 upset by My Date Rayann in the sixth race…Matt Hagerty rode My Date Rayann and the last two days had winners at 15-1 and 8-1 …Live racing resumes Friday with first post at 2 p.m.
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