Winning Machine out-gamed Rooster City and perhaps clinched honors as the meet’s top sophomore Monday with a head victory in the $75,000 Emerald Derby for 3-year-olds at Emerald Downs.

Ridden to perfection by leading rider Ricky Frazier at 122 lbs., Winning Machine ran 1 & 1/8 mile in 1:48 3/5 on a wet-fast track and paid $6.40, $3.60 and $3.20. Doris Harwood is the trainer for Fleur De Lis Stables (Raymond Kwik, Spokane, Wash.; Paul Goldberg, Westport, Conn.)

A Kentucky-bred by Toccet, Winning Machine has a 4-2-2 mark in 12 starts, with victories in the Tacoma Handicap and Emerald Derby, and a runner-up effort in the Pepsi-Cola Handicap. The $41,250 first prize increased the gelding’s earnings to $122,978 as he joined stable-mate Noosa Beach as 3-year-olds with two stakes wins at the meet.

Rooster City, ridden by Seth Martinez at 122 lbs., battled the winner from mid-stretch to the wire, but came up a head short in another sharp effort. It was the third second in a stakes this season for the hard-luck gelding, who also was beaten a head by Winning Machine in the Tacoma, and a half-length by Noosa Beach in the Auburn Stakes. Rooster City, off at 5-1, paid $6 and $4.20.

Peaceful Reign, the 6-5 betting favorite ridden by Gallyn Mitchell at 122 lbs., was a length back in third and paid $2.60. In fourth place to midway on the last turn, Peaceful Reign rallied wide into the lane, pulled within a half-length past mid-stretch, but was outfinished by Winning Machine and Rooster City.

Connor’s Buddy, Red Dancer, Devil Cat M D and Messy Marvin completed the order of finish.

Winning Machine and Devil Cat M D alternated on the early lead through fractions of :23 1/5 for the quarter and :47 2/5 for the half mile. Winning Machine gained the advantage a half-mile from home, after running six furlongs in 1:11 4/5, and continued gamely inside through the stretch while turning back Rooster City.

“I didn’t have a game plan because I knew all the horses in the race,” said Frazier, the leader this season in both wins (140) and stakes wins (nine). “I was surprised not to see (Peaceful Reign) on the lead, but I think (Gallyn Mitchell) wanted to come around the outside of (Devil M D), but Winning Machine out-footed (Peaceful Reign).

“I knew I had it won at the top of the stretch, but Rooster City ran an awesome race. Winning Machine is just a gritty little horse, and he never gives up. If he has a chance at the eighth-pole, he’s going to win.”

Harwood leads trainers with 10 stakes wins in 2009 and is second all-time with 38 stakes wins at Emerald Downs. She has won four of the five stakes this season for 3-year-old colts and geldings—two apiece with Winning Machine and Noosa Beach. Noosa Beach is nominated too the $50,000 Trooper Seven Stakes on Washington Cup Day, Sunday, Sept. 13. That left Winning Machine to carry the Harwood banner in the Emerald Derby.

“We’ve had so much fun with him, he tries so hard and is such a nice horse,” she said of Winning Machine. “We didn’t tell Ricky how to ride him, we just told him to ride it the way the race came up and that the horse would give a hundred percent. They both did a great job.”

NOTES: Vickys Fast Boy ($5.20) won the fourth race for his fifth straight victory and joined Panatela as the only five-time winners at the 2009 meeting. Tim McCanna trains the 3-year-old Katowice gelding for owner-breeder Gary Hughes…Trainer Mike Puhich won the late daily double with longshots Big Bertha ($23.60) and Gotthegreenlight ($14.40)…Former trainer and longtime jockeys valet Gilford “Red” Varner passed away Friday in Ontario, Ore. at age 89. A fixture at tracks in Seattle, Portland and Phoenix, Varner was influential in the development of many young riders, including Roy Lumm and Don Pierce. Originally from Alawee, Okla., Varner is survived by sons Ed, Tim and Andy, daughter Carrol and sister Joanne Thompson…Longacres Mile third-place finisher Teide ($3.70) romped by four lengths in the $50,000 S.W. Randall Plate at 1 1/8 miles at Hastings Racecourse…And Longacres Mile sixth-place finisher Bank Emblem ($5.30) rallied from last for a three-quarter-length victory in the $30,000 PNE President’s Speed Handicap, also at Hastings. Mile nominee Silver Stetson Man finished fourth…Autism Awareness, seventh in The Mile, finished second to Bold Chieftain in the $75,000 Governor’s Handicap on closing day at Sacramento…Emerald Downs is dark Tuesday and Wednesday. Racing resumes Thursday with first post at 2 p.m.