Desert Vixen began racing at age two and met with limited success, winning only one of her five starts. At age three, Desert Vixen was the dominant filly in her class, winning eight straight races including a number of important
Grade I stakes and tying the Belmont Park track record held by
Canonero II in the Beldame Stakes. She broke the stakes record in the 1973
Gazelle Handicap which had been set by
Susan's Girl the previous year. Her performance earned her the 1973
Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3-Year-Old Filly. At age four, Desert Vixen started slowly but then earned three important wins in her eleven races. One of her three second-place finishes came when she raced on
turf for the first time in her career in the prestigious
Washington, D.C. International. In that Grade I race, she finished behind winner
Admetus but ahead of the superstar filly
Dahlia, who had won the race in 1973. Desert Vixen won her second
Beldame Stakes by 11½ lengths and tied the
Atlantic City Race Course track record in winning the
Matchmaker Handicap. Her 1974 performances earned her a second
Eclipse Award as
U.S. Champion Older Female Horse. ==Stud record==