Uruguayan champion Devassa narrowly missed glory in the Likely Exchange Stakes

Returning from a layoff, she finished second, a half-length behind Literate on the Turfway Park synthetic surface, capping an excellent weekend for South American mares

Devassa yielded in the final strides / TURFWAY PARK

FLORENCE, Kentucky.— Turfway Park became a stage of vindication for South American racing. In a card marked by regional talent, the Brazilian-bred Devassa—a standout in Maroñas—delivered a highly encouraging performance, finishing a gallant second in the Likely Exchange Stakes ($120,000), yielding only in the final strides.

Returning from a layoff, the daughter of Alcorano proved not only that she can be competitive at this level but also that the synthetic surface is well within her wheelhouse. Following a pace with intense fractions of :23.78 and :47.84, Devassa (overlooked at 15-1 in the betting) took command at the top of the stretch. With a decisive move, she surged past the pacesetter Trial (Runhappy) and attempted to kick clear for the win.

However, the Brad Cox trainee Literate, under Brazilian jockey Luan Machado, launched a powerful late charge from the back of the pack. In a thrilling finish, Literate managed to wear down Devassa's resistance by just a half-length, stopping the clock in 1:38.55 for the mile. Despite the last-gasp defeat, the impression left by Devassa was excellent.

The standout effort by the bay mare was not an isolated event, but rather the spearhead of a productive weekend for fillies and mares born in the southern part of the continent. Her strong second-place finish added to the solid performances of the Argentine-bred Ooty (Dabster) and the Peruvian Princesa Moche (Muwaary), confirming the great momentum for South American exports in the United States.

A leader of her generation on the dirt at Maroñas, following a couple of frustrated attempts in the United Arab Emirateswhere health issues hampered her, Devassa is now beginning to carve out her space on American tracks under the tutelage of trainer Paulo Lobo, who is well-accustomed to finding success with South American imports.