Adios Charlie’s 2-year-old filly Welcome Back remained undefeated with a determined victory in the $100,000 FTBOA Florida Sire Desert Vixen Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Sunday, Sept. 9.

Sent off as the race favorite based on the strength of her impressive debut win against winners on July 29, Welcome Back prompted the early pace from the three-path in the six-furlong event. Forced to steady midway around the turn, she shifted outward and swung to the six-path at the head of the lane. The long-striding filly gathered momentum in the stretch and collared the leaders close to home to score by a nose at the wire.

“She almost clipped heels,” said winning jockey Edwin Gonzalez. “When I took her out, she grabbed her spot, and she came running.”

A Florida homebred for Soldi Stables, Welcome Back is now perfect in two starts. The $60,000 winner’s share of the purse raised her earnings to $91,300. Trainer Jose D’Angelo indicated that Welcome Back will be pointed toward the $200,000 Susan’s Girl Stakes, the seven-furlong second leg of the Florida Sire Stakes Series on Oct. 21. The $300,000 My Dear Girl, the 1 1/16-mile series finale, is slated for Dec. 2.

“I think the hard race for her was going to be this one,” said D’Angelo of his charge’s effort in the Desert Vixen. “I was afraid this race was going to be too short for her, so I’m happy she won the race.”