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 1/2-length victory in the $100,000 FTBOA Florida Sire Desert Vixen Stakes at Gulfstream Park Sept. 7.
The six-furlong Desert Vixen for fillies co-headlined an 11-race program with the $100,000 FTBOA Florida Sire Dr. Fager Stakes, the inaugural legs of the $1.2 million Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' 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 at 2-1.
Wiggle An' Wine was second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Win N Your In.
R Morning Brew is the first stakes winner for first-crop sire Curlin's Honor , who stood the 2024 season for a $2,500 at Pleasant Acres Stallions in Morriston, Fla. On the racetrack, Curlin's Honor was a two-time listed stakes winner who placed in all six of his graded attempts at Woodbine.
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 Ocala Breeders' Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. She debuted with a front-running 4 1/2-length triumph over a sloppy and sealed Gulfstream main track Aug. 9.
"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," said owner Rich Averill. "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."
Video: FTBOA Florida Sire Desert Vixen S. (BT)
Rated By Merit Brilliant in Dr. Fager
A brilliant debut winner seven weeks earlier, St. Elias Stable 's Rated by Merit offered an encore performance extraordinaire Sept. 7 at Gulfstream Park, scoring a dominating 6 1/4-length victory in stakes-record time in the six-furlong Dr. Fager.
Rated by Merit made a splash in his July 13 debut at Gulfstream, scoring by 9 3/4 lengths after running six furlongs in 1:10.50. Saturday, the homebred son of Battalion Runner returned to action with a thoroughly professional performance while running six furlongs in 1:09.45, bettering Three Rules' 1:09.49 clocking in the 2016 Dr. Fager.
Neoequos edged Classic of Course for second.
In the aftermath of such a brilliant debut, Rated by Merit's second career start has been widely anticipated, but trainer Michael Yates maintained his focus on developing the exciting prospect.
"I would say I felt like I was under a lot of pressure. The horse was doing well. I have a lot more horses that put more pressure on me than him," Yates said. "He's very uncomplicated. He does things very easily and he's a fast horse. He's one of the least complicated horses we have in the barn, so I haven't felt a lot of pressure, honestly."
