Koala Beach holds off Posse Power at Emerald

AUBURN, Wash. - Front-running Koala Beach outlasted 3-5 favorite Posse Power and Newfound Man in a three-horse blanket finish to win the $50,000 Pepsi Cola Handicap for 3-year-olds Sunday at Emerald Downs.

Ridden by Ricky Frazier for trainer Doris Harwood, Koala Beach ($11.40) prevailed by a nose over Posse Power, with Newfound Man a neck back in third. The winner ran one mile in 1:34.20, the fastest time by a 3-year-old in track history.

The victory moved Frazier ahead of Gallyn Mitchell 65-64 in their ongoing competition for most stakes victories by a jockey at Emerald, and Harwood moved past Bud Klokstad, 43-42, for most stakes wins by a trainer. Harwood, who has saddled 34 stakes winners in the past four seasons, trains Koala Beach for her husband, Jeff.

A Washington-bred by Harbor the Gold, Koala Beach has won 4 of 8 career starts and earned $121,693. He won two stakes races at Emerald Downs in 2009, including the Gottstein Futurity, the track's traditional 2-year-old championship. He could be seen next in the 1 1/16-mile Seattle Slew Handicap on July 25, the final major prep for the $75,000 Emerald Downs Derby on Aug. 15.

Silk Street, Michael the Man and Bogachiel completed the order of finish.