Queen Sienna and Devassa share the starting gate this afternoon in the United States

The Argentine-bred and the Brazilian-bred—who developed her early career in Uruguay—will spice up the third race on the card at Horseshoe Indianapolis, an Allowance Optional Claiming event contested over a distance of one mile on the turf course

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (Special to Turf Diario).- There will be plenty of reasons for South American racing fans to keep a close eye on this afternoon’s third race at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

A $50,000 Allowance Optional Claiming event carrying a total purse of $49,680 and carded for one mile on the turf—with a main-track contingency of 1 mile and 70 yards—will feature the U.S. debuts under new conditioning of Argentine-bred Queen Sienna (Fortify) and Brazilian-bred, Uruguay-campaigned Devassa (Alcorano), who are now stablemates under the care of trainer Paulo Lobo. From the ten original entries, scratches have already been announced for Itzforever (Forever D'Oro), Top (Army Mule), and projected contender Reining Flowers (Midnight Storm).

For Queen Sienna, a former top-class filly at Monterrico in Peru who now sports the silks of Stud Las Monjitas, this will be her first start for the Lobo barn after a stint in California with trainer Marcelo Polanco. An allowance winner at Santa Anita Park, she was last seen finishing an acceptable seventh, beaten just three lengths by the English-bred Take a Breath, in the Santa Ana Stakes (G3) in mid-March. Tabbed as the 5/2 morning-line favorite, Queen Sienna tuned up for this spot with an easy half-mile breeze at Kentucky's The Thoroughbred Center.

Devassa, who reigned as the champion filly of her generation at Maroñas before a brief two-race campaign at Jebel Ali in the UAE, makes her first start since finishing sixth in the Letonia Stakes (L) at Turfway Park on March 21. Prior to that, she had shown excellent form on the synthetic track, missing by a narrow margin when second in the Likely Exchange Stakes (L) and third in the Wintergreen Stakes (L).

Queen Sienna will be ridden by apprentice Irving Moncada, while Devassa will have the services of Evin Roman. The main threat to the South American duo is Necessity (Constitution), trained by Riley Mott. Although she failed to hit the board in her latest effort at Churchill Downs, her runner-up finish in Gulfstream Park's Rampart Stakes (L) in December and her strong allowance lines justify the high market confidence surrounding her today.