Ways and Means Eyes Another Saratoga Grade 1 Victory

Fans of Ways and Means, the dynamo who broke her maiden at Saratoga Race Course by 12 3/4 lengths as 2-year-old in 2023 and has won at least one stakes there every year since, is set to compete at the New York track one final time. The 5-year-old daughter of Practical Joke is the 9-5 morning-line favorite among a lineup of 12 older fillies and mares in the Aug. 29 Ballerina Stakes (G1). The depth of the field can't be overstated: Five of the entrants are grade 1 winners. A homebred for Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables, Ways and Means is expected to race once more after the 7-furlong Ballerina in the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) before being offered at auction in Kentucky in November as a broodmare prospect. Ways and Means' trainer, Chad Brown, took a few minutes outside his Saratoga barn Aug. 26 to reflect upon the mare he has conditioned to win more $1.3 million from a 6-3-1 record in 12 career starts. Along the way, she has recovered from injuries and illnesses, only to return to the races as fierce as ever. "She's meant a lot to this barn," said Brown, who remarked she always occupies the stall adjacent to his office. "She's a homebred; I trained both the sire and the dam (Strong Incentive). She is one of the best-looking fillies ever to step foot in this barn in over 18 years of training. She's just a magnificent specimen. "She has shown brilliance, which is always a rare and exciting quality when a horse is as brilliantly fast as she is. And she loves Saratoga. "Right now she is scheduled to be sold after the Breeders' Cup. We all love this mare, including Mr. Klarman, him maybe the most. She's certainly one of the favorites he has owned. But this is part of our business model to sell broodmare prospects when they reach that level of value. We're very strict on running this like a business." Ways and Means enters the $500,000 Ballerina—which offers an automatic and free berth to the Filly and Mare Sprint through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In—with a Saratoga record of 5-1-0 in six starts. Her latest victory there came in her most recent start, the June 5 Bed o' Roses Stakes (G2), a race she won for the second consecutive year. With the victory, she earned her seventh triple-digit Equibase Speed Figure. Ways and Means, the winner of the 2024 Test Stakes (G1), is joined in the field by the 2025 Test winner, Kilwin. Also entered is Beauty Reigns, who finished third in last year's Test. R Disaster, one of three in the field for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., figures to exit the gate with running on her mind. The catch-me-if-you-can daughter of Awesome Slew hasn't run since a gate-to-wire win in the May 2 Derby City Distaff Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs. Finishing 2 1/4 lengths behind her that day was Ways and Means. The race's third-place finisher, Usha, is also among Saturday's entrants. Not to be overlooked is Eclatant, a winner of her past three starts, including the Madison Stakes (G1) in April. Echo Sound, Munnings Express, Paradise City, Grammy Girl, Kappa Kappa, and Maida complete the field.