Proviso Looms Large in First Lady

It was a year ago this weekend that Proviso announced herself, with great flair, as one to watch out for, if not avoid. She crossed the wire first in the Spinster Stakes, but only after making a sudden shift in deep stretch that forced Keeneland's stewards to disqualify her.

A year later, Proviso has developed into one of the leading female turf runners in the country. She has won three straight Grade 1 races and will go for a fourth Saturday, when she heads a field of nine in the $400,000 First Lady at Keeneland.

The First Lady, at one mile on turf, offers an automatic berth into the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf through the Win and You're In program. But if there's any BC race on Proviso's agenda, it would be the Mile grass race, against males. The Filly and Mare Turf is at 1 3/8 miles, seemingly beyond her optimum. And Prince Khalid Adbullah's Juddmonte Farms, which owns Proviso, already has the Filly and Mare Turf favorite in Midday, the race's defending champion.