Baoma Corp.’s Tenma (Nyquist – Amagansett) is two for two and a Gr. I stakes-winner after taking Saturday’s $300,000, Gr. I Del Mar Debutante Stakes. 

    Rated early, the 2-year-old daughter of Nyquist split horses to reach contention on the turn, caught the leader a sixteenth out and was best by a nose at the wire. Fellow OBS graduate So There She Was (Munnings – Risk Premium) settled for third. Tenma, trained by Bob Baffert, has earned $225,000. At the 2024 OBS Spring Sale, she turned in an Under Tack eighth in :9 4/5 and was purchased for $850,000 out of the Wavertree Stables consignment.    

    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’

    HALLANDALE BEACH - Troy Johnson and Maritza Weston’s Win N Your In breezed four furlongs in :48.25 seconds Sunday morning in preparation for a highly-anticipated start in Saturday’s $100,000 Desert Vixen in first leg action of the 2024 Florida Sire Stakes series at Gulfstream Park.

    The 2-year-old daughter of Win Win Win was credited with the third fastest clocking of 13 works recorded at the distance at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.

    “She was really good. She worked in 48 and galloped out in a minute. She’s sharp,” trainer Carlos David said. “I think that was a great workout. I’m very happy with it.”

    The Desert Vixen, a six-furlong test for juvenile fillies, will co-headline Saturday’s program along with the $100,000 Dr. Fager, a six-furlong open event in the series for juveniles sired by accredited Florida Stallions. 

    Win N Your In is prominent in a field of seven fillies entered in the Desert Vixen. The daughter of Win Win Win is coming off a 4 ¾-length victory in the six-furlong Sharp Susan against open company. After finishing third in her debut at 4 ½ furlongs, Win N Your In graduated in style at 5 ½ furlongs with a going-away 7 ½-length romp. In her Sharp Susan score, she squeezed through a rail opening on the turn into the homestretch before drawing clear.

    Miguel Vasquez has the return mount aboard the David trainee, who is joined in the Desert Vixen field by Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained R Morning Brew, Joe Pinchin-trained Wiggle An’ Wine, Jena Antonucci-trained Bee a Queen, Mary Lightner-trained Glory Glory, Kathleen O’Connell-trained Don’t Fool With Me, and Daniel Pita-trained Slew Diva.

    St. Elias Stable’s Rated by Merit has completed his serious preparation for his anxiously-awaited return in the Dr. Fager with a three-furlong breeze at Gulfstream Saturday morning. The 2-year-old son of Battalion Runner, who turned in a jaw-dropping debut victory on July 13, tops a field of eight entered in the race.

    Saturday’s tune-up (:36.84 seconds) was the fourth in a series of workouts since Rated by Merit scored by 9 ¾ lengths, getting six furlongs in 1:10.50. That clocking that earned him a 92 Beyer Speed Figure that was the highest for all 2-year-olds until Ferocious, a $1.3 million yearling purchase, was credited with a 96 for his impressive debut at Saratoga two weeks later.

    “We didn’t want him to do a whole lot, so we changed up what we’ve been doing. We breezed him from the quarter-pole. I didn’t want him to break off too sharp,” said trainer Michael Yates, whose prospect produced a ‘bullet’ five-furlong breeze 10 days prior. “He breezed well and in hand.”

    Rated by Merit, who will be ridden by Jesus Rios, is joined in the Dr. Fager field by Patrick Biancone-trained Classic of Course, Jose Pinchin-trained I’mbiggerthanilook, Jose D’Angelo-trained Just Relax, Mary Lightner-trained Candycrumbs, Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Neoequos, Ruben Sierra-trained Lawler, and Javier Gonzalez-trained Zizka.