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Proviso earns third straight in Diana thriller Saturday's $500,000 Diana S. (G1) at Saratoga looked like a fascinating race on paper, boasting several of the nation's best turf distaffers, and the prestigious test more than lived up to its advance billing with a blanket finish. In a cavalry charge to the wire, Juddmonte Farms' homebred PROVISO (GB) (Dansili [GB]) scrambled home by a head from the rallying Shared Account (Pleasantly Perfect), with two-time defending champion Forever Together (Belong to Me) just a nose back between them, and early leader Dynaslew (Dynaformer) beaten all of a neck in fourth. Proviso was recording her third consecutive Grade 1 victory, all in tight finishes, and she remains perfect on the turf in the United States. Up in time by a nose to defeat males in the March 6 Frank E. Kilroe Mile H. (G1) at Santa Anita, the Bill Mott mare held on by a half-length in the June 5 Just a Game S. (G1) at Belmont last time out. Proviso was dispatched as the 2-1 second choice in the Diana, and she rewarded her loyalists with mutuels of $6.40, $3.90 and $2.90. As expected, there was little in the way of early speed on tap. Dynaslew took the initiative and carved out slow fractions of :24 3/5, :49 2/5 and 1:12 4/5. Maram (Sahm) took up a stalking role in second, with a hedge-skimming Proviso tugging on Mike Smith in third. Shared Account, My Princess Jess (Stormy Atlantic) and Forever Together were all content to bide their time off the pace, and confirmed closer Phola (Johannesburg) settled into her customary spot in the rear. By the time the compact field swung for home, Proviso had worked her way off the inside and prepared to launch her bid. Dynaslew stayed a length in front of Maram in midstretch, getting the mile in 1:35 3/5, but Proviso was on the march and soon drove to a narrow lead. Wider out, Forever Together and Shared Account started to pick up, but didn't reach top gear until well inside the final furlong. Proviso kept on gamely to stave off the onrushing pair, who were gaining steadily at the wire. "To come back to Saratoga and win a Grade 1 is awesome," the Southern California-based Smith said. "It wasn't a big field, but it was an extremely talented field, and she got the job done. I knew it was going to be a tough race, and that no one was going to draw off and win it easily because they were all too good. She made a good move down the backside and that helped us win the race." "She was a little bit rank going into the first turn," Mott observed. "It seemed like it was a pedestrian pace, but Mike Smith was able to ease out going down the backside. He was in a bit of a trap down the backside with (Maram) outside of him." Shared Account, an 11-1 outsider, returned $9.40 and $4.20 while delighting trainer Graham Motion. "I really love this filly and I think she really does fit in these Grade 1 races," Motion said. "I think with another sixteenth of a mile, maybe she gets there. I think the winner (Proviso) is fantastic. I saw her run against males in California and she was brilliant. If my filly comes out of the race well, hopefully we will be pointing her towards the Breeders' Cup." "It was a good pace -- it was the way I expected it to be," said Edgar Prado, who rode Shared Account. "The horses with speed went to the lead, but I was surprised to see Maram in there. My horse had a very nice first part of the race and I was very happy with how it went. We were waiting for the filly Forever Together to come so we could both cross the finish together at the end and that's what we did. (Shared Account) was trying real hard and she ran great, but the horse in front never quit." Forever Together, the 9-5 favorite in her three-peat attempt, yielded $2.20. "She ran well," trainer Jonathan Sheppard said. "It was tough for a little while to get her in high gear, but she tried hard and finished strongly. She won by a head last year. She lost by a neck this year. She's still pretty darn good. I'm proud of her." "She came running late," jockey Julien Leparoux said of Forever Together. "She ran well and we got a good trip, so no excuses." The exotics totaled $71.50 (exacta), $145.50 (trifecta) and $1,124 (1-6-4-5 superfecta) with Dynaslew, the longest shot on the board at nearly 19-1, in fourth. Maram was another neck adrift in fifth, and Phola was beaten a scant 1 1/4 lengths in sixth. My Princess Jess rounded out the order under the wire. With this sixth career stakes success to her credit, Proviso sports a mark of 21-8-3-5 and a bankroll worth $1,465,473. Originally based in France with Andre Fabre, the bay garnered the 2007 Prix du Calvados (Fr-G3) as a juvenile and finished second in the Fillies Mile (Eng-G1). Proviso added the Prix Occitaine the following season while placing third in the Prix Saint-Alary (Fr-G1), Prix Vanteaux (Fr-G3), Prix de Psyche (Fr-G3) and Prix Chloe (Fr-G3). Last year, she finished third to superstar Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa) in the Prix Rothschild (Fr-G1) and concluded her European career with a neck decision in the Prix du Pin (Fr-G3). Proviso made her American, and synthetic, debut for the late Bobby Frankel in the Spinster S. (G1) at Keeneland, where she finished first but was disqualified and placed second for interfering with Mushka (Empire Maker). After checking in fourth in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (G1) at Santa Anita, she finished second in the January 31 Santa Monica H. (G1), her debut for Mott. Proviso made her first turf start in the United States in the aforementioned Kilroe. Bred in Great Britain, Proviso is a half-sister to Byword (Peintre Celebre), hero of the June 16 Prince of Wales's S. (Eng-G1) at Royal Ascot. Two starts back, Byword was a close second to the course record-setting Goldikova in the May 23 Prix d'Ispahan (Fr-G1). Proviso has a juvenile full sister named Epinois. They are all out of the Woodman mare Binche, a half-sister to Norwegian Group 3 victor Binary File (Nureyev). This is the family of English stakes scorers Bal Harbour (Shirley Heights) and Bequeath (Rainbow Quest). Proviso's fourth dam is the influential matron *Peace II (*Klairon). Mott hasn't mapped out any definite targets for Proviso. "Whether we want to go beyond (1 1/8 miles), I don't know. She's run at a mile and a quarter before and been effective (during her time in France), but we'll have to sit down and decide whether we'll want to take the next step. "At this moment, I don't think we have decided where we'll go. We've won three Grade 1s this year, so I suppose the heat is off. Hopefully the rest is just fun and gravy."
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