Noosito dominates Auburn Handicap

Noosito opened his 3-year-old campaign in style Sunday, sweeping to a five-length victory in the $50,000 Auburn Handicap at Emerald Downs. Ridden by Leslie Mawing for trainer Doris Harwood, Noosito ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:14.71 and returned $6.40 as the second choice in a five-horse field.

In addition to recording his second career stakes victory, Noosito turned the tables on stablemate Del Rio Harbor, who outran Noosito when they last met, in the Gottstein Futurity in September.

Del Rio Harbor came into the Auburn having won five of his past six starts, but the 4-5 favorite never threatened while finishing third, 1 1/4 lengths behind runner-up Mebossman. Stikine Slough, the early pacesetter, and Redsolocup completed the order of finish.

Noosito is a full brother to Noosa Beach, who won 11 stakes races at Emerald Downs. He’s by Harbor the Gold, from the late Basket Weave mare Julia Rose. His ownership group, Last Rose Stable, paid $55,000 for Noosito at the 2012 Washington Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association’s yearling sale.

Noosito pressed a moderate pace from the outside, drifted out turning for home, and then motored home impressively, covering the final five-sixteenths in a very brisk 29.17 seconds.

“He’s been working great, he’s been doing everything right,” said Mawing, who rode Noosito for the first time Sunday. “He had a perfect position today, we were sitting in a perfect spot, saving some energy, and then he just went.”

Noosito earned $27,500, pushing his career earnings to $80,378 from five starts. He could be seen next in the one-mile Coca-Cola Handicap for 3-year-olds June 22.