Ayra Stark bounced back with an encouraging effort to finish third on the turf at Colonial Downs

Facing tough rivals, the Argentine mare finished 3 1/2 lengths behind the Irish-bred Avenue Niel; it was her first time competing over that surface

Ayra Stark adelantó significativamente / HAPSA

NEW KENT, Virginia (Special for Turf Diario).- After a US debut that left her team puzzled, Argentine mare Ayra Stark showed marked improvement on Friday in her second stateside start. Trying turf for the first time, the daughter of Cosmic Trigger, trained by Ignacio Correas IV, finished third in the seventh race at Colonial Downs, a competitive $80,000 allowance optional claiming over 1 1/8 miles.

With French rider Vincent Cheminaud aboard, Ayra Stark settled mid-pack for most of the trip as several rivals loomed turning for home. But the bay showed grit, found another gear, and closed strongly to finish just 3 1/2 lengths behind French-bred Avenue Niel (Helmet), who was making her seasonal bow after finishing ninth in the Hillsborough S. (G2)at Tampa Bay Downs. Final time was 1:47.80.

The outlook now widens for Ayra Stark, who proved she can be effective on grass despite having raced exclusively on dirt in Argentina, where she posted multiple key victories.

Time will tell how far the Argentine mare can go in the US, but she is starting to show the talent that her team always believed in.