Alfredo Juarez Jr. rode Cali Baby to a come-from-behind 1 ½-length victory in Sunday’s $120,000 New Mexico State Racing Commission Handicap (R) for state-bred distaffers at Sunland Park.

Prepped by Eric Mikkelson for Chris Hourigan of Anthony, New Mexico, and UKUSA Stables, Cali Baby went 6-furlongs in 1:10.04, after the 4-year-old daughter of the late Thatsusintheolbean closed off of the fractions of :21.56 and :44.45 set by odds-on favorite Glory Be Mine. The $72,000 winner’s share of the purse pushed her bankroll to $335,774 from eight wins in 14 starts.

Cali Baby was bred by Hourigan and his wife, Tina. The filly is one of four stakes winners from 54 starters sired by Thatsusintheolbean, a stakes-winning son of the Sadler’s Wells stallion El Prado (IRE). A half brother to stakes winner and Louisiana-based stallion Valid Belfast, Thatsusintheolbean has sired the earners of more than $2.2 million from four crops, and Cali Baby represents his top earner. Thatsusintheolbean died in 2006.

Cali Baby is also one of three winners from as many starters foaled by Aquarellist, a winning 16-year-old daughter of the Danzig stallion Ole’ who ran third in the ’96 Courtship Stakes (R) for California-bred 2-year-old fillies at Bay Meadows. Cali Baby’s second dam, the Painted Wagon mare Unpainted, won the 1988 California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Stakes (R) at Del Mar, and she produced Paint Scraper, a stakes-placed half sister to Aquarellist.

Cali Baby traces back to her fourth dam, Flash Bam, a winning and Grade 3-placed daughter of the Prince John stallion Mandate.

Cali Baby has won four consecutive races at four different distances – 6, 6 ½, and 7 furlongs, and one mile. The filly’s victory streak began on August 22, Lineage Day at The Downs at Albuquerque, when she captured the 6 ½-furlong Carlos Salazar Stakes (R) by 1 ½ lengths. It continued with a 1 ¼-length win in the September 11, 7-furlong E.T. Springer Handicap (R) at Albuquerque, and a convincing 9 ½-length score in the one-mile, $182,690 Peppers Pride New Mexico Cup Fillies & Mares Stakes (R) at Zia Park.

Happy Me, Glory Be Mine, Askmetodance, Ambers Pride, Pocketfullachime, Teras Baby, Mylilmemo, Wildwood Band, Elvira Who, Diamonds N Bling, and I Am Lesters Gal completed the order of finish.

A homebred 4-year-old filly by Lesters Boy, Happy Me earned $24,000 to increase her bankroll to $322,816 for owner Rita J. Danley of Anthony, New Mexico. Happy Me has won seven of 13 races, and her three stakes victories include the 2010 Russell & Helen Foutz Distaff Handicap (R) at SunRay Park and La Coneja Stakes (R) at Sunland.

Glory Be Mine brought a seven-race win streak into the New Mexico Racing Commission Handicap and, sent to post as the 9-10 favorite, she finished 4 ½ lengths behind Cali Baby. Racing for Bobby McQueen and Dale Taylor, who acquired the chestnut daughter of Dome for $13,000 at the ’08 New Mexico-Bred Yearling Sale at Ruidoso Downs, Glory Be Mine has banked $424,638 from seven wins in 10 outs. Her five stakes wins include a wire-to-wire, half-length victory in the October 31, $151,575 New Mexico Cup Fillies Stakes (R) at Zia Park.