Noosa Beach, who led throughout, held off stable mate Winning Machine by a head Sunday in the $50,000 Pepsi-Cola Handicap for 3-year-old colts and geldings at Emerald Downs.

With Juan Gutierrez riding at 118 pounds, Noosa Beach ran 6 ½ furlongs in 1:15 and paid $5, $3.20 and $2.60. Winning Machine, ridden by Saul Arias at 116 pounds, engaged the winner in a nip-and-tuck stretch battle, but came up a head short as trainer Doris Harwood saddled the top two finishers. Winning Machine paid $4.60 and $3.40.

It was 2 ½ lengths back to third-place finisher Peaceful Reign, ridden by Gallyn Mitchell at 114 pounds, and a $4.60 show payoff. Quinalt, Rooster City, Eighty Eight and Strawberry Topper completed the order of finish. Roy’s Tops was scratched earlier in the day.

Noosa Beach is now undefeated in four career sprints, including the Auburn Stakes and Pepsi-Cola Handicap at the current meet, and has an overall mark of 4-1-1 in six starts. Owned by Jeff Harwood of Kent, Wash.—the husband of the trainer—Noosa Beach earned $27,500 to increase his bankroll to $99,375.

A Washington-bred by Harbor the Gold, Noosa Beach put his early zip to good use, breaking sharply from the number four post-position and maintained a short lead while Strawberry Topper applied pressure from the outside. Strawberry Topper gave way into the lane, after a half-mile in 45 seconds flat, but Winning Machine picked up the baton and set out to topple his stable mate into the stretch.

Noosa Beach and Winning Machine spurted away from the field and the race was on — with Noosa Beach inside and Winning Machine outside — in a head-and-head battle to the wire. And as he had in the April 26 Auburn Stakes when he held off Rooster City, Noosa Beach was resilient and refused to give way to Winning Machine.

“He’s a great horse who loves competition and never quits,” said Gutierrez, who has ridden Noosa Beach in all of his races.

Harwood, the first trainer to finish first and second in a stakes race since Mike Chambers in the 2008 Seattle Handicap, praised both of her runners’ efforts. She noted that Noosa Beach and Winning Machine, who often work together, have developed a rivalry around the barn.

“I am so proud of both these horses that I could just burst,” she said.

The leading stakes trainer at Emerald Downs the last two seasons, Harwood became only the third trainer with 30 stakes victories at the Auburn track. Noosa Beach, meanwhile, joined 3-year-old filly Ladyledue and older horse Kruger Park as the first horses to win two stakes at the current meeting.

The $50,000 Tacoma Handicap at one mile on June 28 is the next stakes for 3-year-old colts and geldings.

NOTES: High Resolve, a multiple stakes winner of $438,270, will ship up from California for next Sunday’s $50,000 Washington State Legislators Stakes for fillies and mares, according to trainer Greg Gilchrist. …2008 Emerald Downs riding champion Seth Martinez recorded his first three-win day of the meet including two wins on horses trained by Mike Chambers. …Gutierrez also rode three winners and tied Gallyn Mitchell for second place at 28 wins apiece. Leading rider Ricky Frazier doubled and has 46 wins in the first 23 days. …Apprentice jockey Matt Hagerty celebrated his 19th birthday Sunday with a $38.60 victory aboard Junior Cruiser for trainer Vince Gibson. …Racing resumes Thursday with first post at 6 p.m.