Proviso, who will try to stop European invader Goldikova from winning an unprecedented third straight Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. IT), galloped out eagerly following her four-furlong work in a moderate time of :51 3/5 over firm turf at Churchill Downs Nov. 1. Her ears were pricked as Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux guided her down the backstretch.
Proviso posted splits of :14 3/5, :28 1/5, and :39 4/5. Her gallop-out times were 1:05 for five furlongs and 1:19 for six furlongs.
The 5-year-old bay daughter of Dansili was calm and professional prior to breezing, standing quietly on the dirt track and alertly watching other horses passing by before she headed to the grass.
“Proviso worked well; she was very good,” said the mare’s Hall of Fame trainer, Bill Mott. “Kent did a great job with her. She warmed up nicely. She went off a little easy, but came through the stretch very nicely. He never let her off the bridle. She galloped out very strong. I couldn’t be happier.”
Proviso, a Juddmonte Farms homebred who is out of the Woodmanmare Binche, is coming into the Nov. 6 Breeders’ Cup Mile, which is sponsored by TVG, off of four consecutive victories in grade I races. In her most recent effort, she defeated C. S. Silkby a half-length in the Oct. 23 First Lady Stakes (gr. IT) at Keeneland.
“She’s won four grade Is in a row; she’s beaten the boys in California earlier in the year,” Mott said. “She’s definitely a horse that’s earned her way into the Breeders’ Cup. We could have run her in the Matriarch (gr. IT at Hollywood Park), but I didn’t think we were going to gain much more than what we had already done by going there. I think the big prize is on Breeders’ Cup Day here, and obviously it’s the deepest water, the toughest race that we’re going to be in, but she deserves her chance. She’s ready for the challenge, and we’re ready to watch her take them on. We’re anxious to get in there and give it a try.”
Mott had another worker on grass Nov. 1--Al Khali , who is scheduled to compete in the Nov. 6 Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf (gr. IT). Ridden by jockey Julien Leparoux, the 4-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro covered five furlongs in 1:01 2/5. His splits were :12, :24 4/5, and :38. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:15 2/5.
“He went well; I was happy,” Mott said. “He looked like he was on the bridle most of the way. He was smooth.”