Only You Babe prevails by nose in Juan Gonzalez Memorial

Only You Babe, last until reaching the stretch, angled widest in the lane and came flying to win a photo over Unbroken Code in the $62,225 Juan Gonzalez Memorial on Saturday at the Oak Tree at Pleasanton meet at the Alameda County Fairgrounds.

The victory reversed Only You Babe’s loss by a neck to Unbroken Code when the two met in a May 21 maiden race at Golden Gate Fields.

The pair went head-and-head the whole way in the maiden race, but they were last and next-to-last early in the stakes race as favored Unforgivable U stubbornly kept her head in front of Lemonaideen down the backstretch, on the turn, and into the stretch.

Unbroken Code, three wide on the turn, began to move up in the lane as Lemonaideen began to falter.

Only You Babe ($9), who had saved ground under Frank Alvarado, was angled widest for a clear path in the stretch and commenced her rally.

Both runners had dead aim on Unforgivable U, who hung a bit late. The two raced as a team in the final 100 yards with Only You Babe, a Thorn Song homebred by owners Larry and Marianne Williams, just got up, winning the 5 1/2- race by a nose in 1:05.00. Unforgivable U was third, another length back.

Only You Babe, who won her maiden on June 11 after her loss to Unbroken Code, earned $40,800 to increase her lifetime earnings to $74,600 with two wins and two seconds in four starts.

Sand Victor surprises in Grade 2 for Arabians

Sand Victor upset odds-on favorite Paddys Day in the Grade 2, $48,000 Sheik Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Arabian Cup.

Sand Victor ($38.20) got the jump on 1-2 shot and defending champ Paddys Day into the lane and won the six-furlong stakes for Arabians by two lengths, covering the distance in 1:17.87.

RB Madymoiselle ($13.20) dueled for the lead through the opening half-mile before pulling away in the stretch as she defeated 3-5 shot Dream Pearl by 2 1/2 lengths in the $48,630 H.H. Sheikha Fatima Bint Murback Stakes for fillies and mares. She ran six furlongs in 1:19.94.

All 10 runners in the race were ridden by amateur female jockeys. The Florida-bred RB Madymoiselle, who improved her career record to four wins and a second in five starts, was ridden by Manuela Slamanig.