HALLANDALE BEACH - Averill Racing’s R Morning Brew, making just her second career start and first on a dry track and against stakes company, dueled with Wiggle An’ Wine into the stretch before putting that rival away and drawing clear to a 5 ½-length victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Desert Vixen at Gulfstream Park.

    The six-furlong Desert Vixen for fillies co-headlined an 11-race program with the $100,000 Dr. Fager, the inaugural legs of the $1.2 million FTBOA Sire Stakes series for 2-year-olds sired by accredited Florida stallions.

    Ridden by Edgard Zayas for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., R Morning Brew ($6.80) completed the distance in 1:10.85 over a fast main track as the second choice in a field of seven. It marked the first Desert Vixen win for longtime Florida owner Rich Averill, whose program favorite R Harper Rose was forced to scratch 48 hours prior to last year’s race after spiking a fever.

    “I’ve had Florida horses forever [and] never had one I ever even got to run in the first one,” Averill said. “Last year Harper had to scratch. It was just heartbreaking. To finally get to run in it and win it, this is a race that, as a Florida guy supporting Florida racing for such a long time, I really wanted to win. To be in the first one this year and to have everything ahead of you, it’s fun.”

    Wiggle An’ Wine broke running from Post 6 but was outraced for the lead by R Morning Brew, who went the opening quarter-mile in :22.38 seconds. Wiggle An’ Wine continued to press the leader through a half in :45.14 as 1-2 favorite Win N Your In – winner of the Sharp Susan on Aug. 10 at the course and distance – tipped off the inside from her rail post to launch a bid leaving the far turn. After going five furlongs in :57.58, R Morning Brew and Zayas sprinted clear.

    “At the quarter-pole when I asked her, she kept digging in, digging in, but once she switched leads in the stretch and put her head down and really picked it up, I knew she had it,” Zayas said. “I was pretty confident. The only filly to beat was [Win N Your In]. Last time she had a dream trip. Today she had the inside post, so I knew she had to bring her best race to beat us. They left [R Morning Brew] alone on the lead and she really dug in at the end.”

    Wiggle An’ Wine was second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Win N Your In, who edged late-running long shot Glory Glory by a neck for third. Don’t Fool With Me, Bee Queen and Slew Diva completed the order of finish.

    By Curlin’s Honor out of the Uncaptured mare Foolhearted Woman, R Morning Brew was bred in Florida by Dori Morgan Hyatt and purchased for $30,000 at the OBS sale in April. She debuted with a front-running 4 ½-length triumph over a sloppy and sealed Gulfstream main track Aug. 9 and had two breezes for her stakes debut. She became the first stakes-winner for Pleasant Acres Stallions freshman sire Curlin's Honor.

    “I feel like any maiden special weight winner has to give this race a shot. Every workout she’s just gotten better and better and better. Her last couple works she really blossomed,” Averill said. “Honestly, I was a little nervous. I think she’s going to want to go further. The six [furlongs] and the dry track we weren’t sure [about], but she just continues to get better. What a fun little horse to have for $30,000.”

    If all goes well, Averill will point her toward the $200,000 Susan’s Girl going seven furlongs on Oct. 19.

    “We’re going to support the next leg. I think seven-eighths is where we need to be,” he said. “I didn’t talk to Edgard or Saffie today in regard to instructions, but I thought [Win N Your In] would go just because she’s on the inside and try and get position. I thought with what I look at that [Wiggle An’ Wine] would try to get in front of us. When [R Morning Brew] was in front, and if you watch her first race, when they come to her she’s like, ‘Uh, no,’ and she opens up. Right there on the turn today, same thing. The favorite probably didn’t run its race today, so I’

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