Noosa Beach, who captured his record fifth stakes race of the season in last weekend’s Muckleshoot Tribal Classic, arrived at trainer Doris Harwood’s Auburn farm Thursday for some well-deserved time off during the winter months. Harwood said the 4-year-old Harbor the Gold gelding would be geared toward an encore in 2011.

“Our goal with Noosa Beach is to have a great season in 2011, at Emerald Downs,” Harwood said. “He and Margo’s Gift were turned out and are already having a great time. They are best friends.”

Noosa Beach was only a neck away from sweeping the older horse stakes division at the meet. Regardless, Noosa Beach produced a sensational season, winning six races, including a record-tying performance running six furlongs in 1:07 flat in the Seattle Handicap, and a 1 ½-length victory in the Longacres Mile.

ALSO:

Trainer Tim McCanna closing in another title, needs five wins to break season mark

With an 11-win lead and only seven days left in the 2010 meeting, Tim McCanna appears headed for a fourth consecutive training title and his 10th in the 15-year history of Emerald Downs.

In fact, with 62 wins, McCanna has a good chance to break his own single-season record of 66 wins set in 2008. And his next victory will equal the 63 wins he achieved last year, which is the second highest total in track history.

A couple of months ago another McCanna title didn’t seem likely. On June 30 he was in fourth place, 10 lengths back, as Frank Lucarelli and Vann Belvoir were tied for first with 30 wins and Jim Penney was third with 25 wins.

Since July 1, McCanna has won with 42-of-155 starters—27 percent wins—to reclaim his familiar position on top of the standings. Highlights include a state and track record tying five-win day Thursday, July 8, and a 9-to-1 upset with Saratoga Boot in the $75,000 Emerald Derby on Aug. 15.

McCanna and Kevin Krigger have been the No. 1 trainer-jockey combination with a 27-for-103 mark (26.2 percent) and a nifty $2.63 ROI.

In the jockeys’ standings, Ricky Frazier leads Juan Gutierrez 107-85 and is about win his second straight riding title and his fifth in seven years. And Gallyn Mitchell, third with 70 wins, is on pace for a 15th consecutive top-five finish at Emerald Downs.

The owners’ race is headed for a photo with Ron Crockett and Howard Belvoir tied for first at 15 wins apiece, while Michael & Amy Feuerborn (13 wins) and Sue & Tim Spooner (12 wins) remain in contention for the title.

Jeff Harwood’s Noosa Beach leads in every horse category: six wins, a record five stakes wins, and $225,930 in earnings. The 4-year-old Harbor the Gold gelding figures to take home all sorts of honors closing weekend.

Frazier and Doris Harwood rank first in stakes wins with 10 and eight respectively. This marks the fourth straight year Harwood has led trainers in stakes victories.

Assessment headlines stakes-esque field Sunday in Feature of the Week

The older horse stakes division has concluded, but stakes quality horses still remain, as last year’s Horse of the Meeting Assessment faces four challengers, including stakes winners Winning Machine and Gallon, Sunday in a $21,500 allowance race at Emerald Downs.

The one-mile event will run as the ninth and feature race on a 10-race card, post time at approximately 6:09 p.m.

“It’s a great allowance race to keep these horses home,” trainer Howard Belvoir said. “It feels very much like a stakes race.”

Belvoir saddles his best weapon in Assessment, who comes off a solid third-place performance in the Longacres Mile. The Jump Start gelding showed more than a glimpse of his 2009 form this season, when he became the only horse to beat Noosa Beach this year. In a thrilling stretch drive, Assessment rallied to score a neck victory in the Governor’s Handicap on July 11. Without Noosa Beach, trainer Howard Belvoir said believes that his horse is the one to beat.

“I’m not trying to be cocky, but I expect him to win,” Belvoir said. “He’s got an excuse for all his bad races.”

The Belvoir-trainee will see familiar foes Sunday, as Winning Machine and Gallon look to cap off the 2010 meet with a victory. Winning Machine, like Assessment, has had an up and down season. The 4-year-old son of Toccet, who finished second in his first two races at the meet, appeared to head the wrong direction, finishing eighth and seventh in next two starts. However, Winning Machine may have righted the ship after a decent fifth-place effort at 48-to-1 in the Mile.

Gallon will have to improve to catch the other two after his last-place finish in the Mile. However, the 5-year-old gelding collected four paychecks this season against top competition, including a second-place effort in the Budweiser Handicap. According to Belvoir, the son of Victory Gallop has looked sharp in the mornings leading up to Sunday’s race.

“Gallon has been training the best out of all the horses so far,” Belvoir said.

NOTES: Week 23 honors: Jockey—Juan Gutierrez (7 wins); Trainer—Tim McCanna (6 wins); Owner—Carol Hern & Pat LePley (2 wins); Groom-Fernando Ochoa (Tom Wenzel)…Wenzel said Lady Golightly is possible to face colts & geldings in the $75,000 Gottstein Futurity on closing day, Sunday, Sept. 26. Lady Golightly (4-2-1-1-$49,600) has already won stakes short and long vs. fillies, and both times her winning time was faster than colts and geldings on the same card. On Aug. 29, Lady Golightly won the one-mile Barbara Shinpoch Stakes by 3-½ lengths in 1:37 4/5 while Couldabentheshisky won the WTBOA Lads Stakes in 1:38 4/5. And on Sept. 12, Lady Golightly won the 6-½ furlong Diane Kem Stakes by 8 ½ lengths in 1:16 2/5 while unbeaten Mack’s Gold Bullet won the Dennis Dodge Stakes in 1:16 4/5. Fillies have fared well in the Gottstein—Smarty Deb won the race in 2007, and the Wenzel-trained Have’n a Wild Time finished second last year…Highdleburg breezed four furlongs in a bullet :46 3/5 Monday and is possible for the Ashbaugh Beal Claiming Challenge on Sunday, Sept. 26. Owned by Vic-Tory Stables VI and trained by Larry Wolf, Highdleburg has won feature races this season at odds of 5-1, 22-1 and 4-1…Vicky Baze has moved into first place in the jockeys’ standings at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg, Canada. Baze has a 63-61 lead over Janine Stianson, with Gary Baze in fifth place with 43 wins. Assiniboia Downs closes Sept. 26, the same day as Emerald Downs…Howard Belvoir said Wasserman would continue racing at Emerald Downs, if all goes well, until he is 11 years old. Wasserman, second to Noosa Beach in last Sunday’s Muckleshoot Tribal Classic, is pointed for the $20,000 Inaugural Handicap on Oct. 2, at Portland Meadows…Multiple stakes winner Gadget Queen will run Saturday in a $50,000 allowance optional claiming race at Golden Gate Fields. Gadget Queen will break from the rail under Leslie Mawing in the one-mile turf event…Vann Belvoir-trained No Flies On Doodle, a candidate for EmD Top-Older-Filly or Mare, will run in a $35,000 allowance optional claimer Friday at Remington Park.