Noosito faces older in Governor’s Handicap

AUBURN, Wash. – Noosito has won four stakes races in his brief career but never has faced a field as daunting as the one he will meet Sunday in the $50,000 Governor’s Handicap at Emerald Downs. In making his first start against older horses, Noosito will face nine rivals who have combined for 13 stakes victories and more than $1.4 million in earnings.

First post for Emerald’s 10-race card is 2 p.m. Pacific, with the Governor’s going as the ninth race. The Governor’s serves as the first leg of Emerald’s stakes program for older horses, which culminates with the Grade 3, $200,000 Longacres Mile on Aug. 16. At 6 1/2 furlongs, the Governor’s is the only sprint in the series.

How well Noosito makes the transition from age 3 to 4 will be one of the chief story lines in the run-up to the Longacres Mile. Noosa Beach, Noosito’s full brother, captured the Northwest’s richest race in 2010, and Noosito, a powerfully built colt with ample natural speed, has followed a similar career path to this point. Noosa Beach’s transition to older horses was seamless. He captured his first three starts, lost by a neck, then won six more in succession.

Trainer Doris Harwood has prepared Noosito for his 2015 debut with a series of quick five-furlong breezes. He’ll have a new jockey this summer as Julien Couton replaces Leslie Mawing. The latter is committed to riding Stryker Phd, the defending Longacres Mile champion who will skip the Governor’s and make his first start of the year June 14 in the one-mile Budweiser Handicap.

Even without Stryker Phd in the Governor’s, the competition is formidable. Absolutely Cool, who captured the Phoenix Gold Cup at Turf Paradise in February, is the highweight at 121 pounds and likely to be one of the favorites, along with Noosito, Disruption, Del Rio Harbor, Valiant Flame, and perhaps Scat Daddybaby, the probable pacesetter.

Key contenders

Disruption (Last 3 Beyers: 79-87-83)

A lightly raced 5-year-old who was limited to three starts in 2014, Disruption has been training extremely well for Monique Snowden, whose barn has been consistently productive over the past 12 months – 8 for 28, 29 percent, with seven horses running second.

Noosito (Last 3 Beyers: 88-78-87)

Noosito ran big races off the bench in both 2013, when he won a maiden race by three lengths, and 2014, when he rolled to a five-length victory in the Auburn Handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs.

Harwood has a record 66 stakes victories at Emerald Downs. Over the past five years, she has won with 27 of 102 stakes starters. Noosito has a 4-1-3 record in eight stakes appearances.

Absolutely Cool (Last 3 Beyers: 89-94-78)

Trainer Tom Wenzel and jockey Rocco Bowen have combined for 11 wins in 19 stakes starts at Emerald Downs. They were 8 for 8 with the now-retired Stopshoppingdebbie. Wenzel and Bowen captured the first stakes race of the current meeting with Kikosoblu ($19) last Sunday.