Only You Babe goes from last to first in Wine Country Debutante

Only You Babe ($5.80) rallied from last place to score her third straight victory and second stakes triumph as she won the $62,125 Wine Country Debutante at the Santa Rosa Fair Grounds in Santa Rosa on Sunday.

The 2-year-old Thorn Song filly ran down pacesetting Unbroken Code to score a half-length victory in 1:12.69 in the six-furlong stakes for 2-year-old fillies. She had also defeated Unbroken Code in a photo in the Juan Gonzalez at Oak Tree Pleasanton after losing a photo to her in a maiden race.

Only You Babe broke last, but did not get off badly. Jockey Frank Alvarado did not ask for anything until beginning to move up on the turn.

“I told Frank I didn’t want to send her,” winning trainer Steve Specht said. “She has some speed, but it looks like she’s better sitting off the pace.”

Alvarado moved into contention, moving inside Shari to take over third as the field headed for home, angling out three wide for room in the clear. She went past favored Doowop Shedoo, who finished third, and then wore down Unbroken Code, whom she always seemed to have measured.

“She’s getting a little more experience now,” Specht said. “She’s a nice filly, easy to train. She’s found her groove.”

The Larry and Marianne Williams’ Cal-bred is a half sister to Can Can Babe, who ran second in this race in 2014. Only You Babe earned $41,000 for the win and has now earned$115,600 in her five-race career, which includes three wins and two seconds.