Grade 1 winners abound in Ballerina Stakes field
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Five Grade 1 winners, led by millionaires Ways and Means, R Disaster and Kilwin, top a field of 12 older fillies and mares entered Sunday for Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina Stakes, one of five undercard stakes on the 14-race Travers Day program.
Ways and Means is a five-time winner at Saratoga, topped by her victory in the Grade 1 Test in 2024. Ways and Means has won two Grade 2 Bed o’ Roses at Saratoga, including a nose victory over Grand Job in this year’s running on June 5 for which she earned a 107 Beyer Speed Figure.
Ways and Means, who drew post 7 in the Ballerina, has made only two starts this year. In her other one, she was beaten 2 1/4 lengths by R Disaster in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff at Churchill Downs. R Disaster, who drew post 10 for the Ballerina, has not run since winning the Derby City Distaff in May. She is one of three entered in the Ballerina by trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who also put in Grammy Girl, winner of two graded stakes earlier this year at Aqueduct, and Paradise City, who is 2 for 2 this year including a victory in the Saylorville at Prairie Meadows.
Kilwin won the Grade 1 Test in 2025 for trainer Rusty Arnold. In her lone start this year, Kilwin won the Twin Bridges Stakes at Ellis Park in July. Kilwin drew post 2, one spot outside of her Arnold-trained stablemate Echo Sound, who won the Victory Ride here in 2025. Echo Sound won the Regret Stakes at Monmouth Park in her lone start this year.
Eclatant, who is 3 for 3 this year including a victory in the Grade 1 Madison, drew post 12. Usha, the other Grade 1 winner in the field, will break from post 4.
Others entered include Honorable Miss winner Maida, Johnstone Stakes winner Munnings Express, 2025 Raven Run Stakes winner Kappa Kappa and recent allowance winner Beauty Reigns.
Book’em Danno seeks Forego repeat
Book’em Danno, the champion sprinter of 2025, will break from post 5 in a bid to repeat as winner of the Grade 1, $500,000 Forego Stakes for older male sprinters at seven furlongs.
Book’em Danno, a 5-year-old New Jersey-bred gelding, is 5 for 6 at Saratoga including a victory in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens at 3 and a trio of graded stakes here last year, including the Forego.
After losing the Grade 2 Carter by a neck in April, Book’em Danno won the Grade 3 True North for a second consecutive year and the Mr. Prospector Stakes at Monmouth Park. Paco Lopez will be aboard.
Book’em Danno figures to be heavily favored in a field that includes, from the rail, Tip Top Thomas, Hymn, T Kraft, Crazy Mason, Senior Officer, Banishing and Bring the Smoke. Banishing is cross-entered in Friday’s $1 million Charles Town Classic.
Englishman stands out in Jerkens
In any other barn, Englishman would be the star 3-year-old. In trainer Cherie DeVaux’s barn, he is the “other” 3-year-old behind dual classic winner Golden Tempo. Still, Englishman is freaky fast and figures to be a heavy favorite in the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens at seven furlongs.
Englishman, a son of Maxfield, is 3 for 5 and is coming off a dominating 5 3/4-length winner in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens here on June 6. He will be nowhere near the 4-1 odds he was that day.
Englishman, who will break from post 4 under Jose Ortiz, will face a field that includes Grade 2 Amsterdam winner Local Knowledge, Grade 3 Maxfield winner Deep Flame, recent maiden winner Amberjack, recent winner of an optional claimer Stickupwithoutagun, and Grade 2 Amsterdam runner-up Solitude Dude. The latter is cross-entered in Friday night’s $500,000 Robert Hilton Stakes at Charles Town.
Fully Subscribed, Scottish Lassie meet again
Fully Subscribed and Scottish Lassie, separated by a half-length in the Grade 2 Shuvee on July 24, square off again in Saturday’s Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes at 1 1/8 miles.
Fully Subscribed, trained by Chad Brown, won the Comely and Mother Goose last year. Scottish Lassie, trained by Jorge Abreu, is a two-time Grade 1 winner, having taken the Frizette at 2 and the Coaching Club American Oaks at 3.
Snowyte, third in the Shuvee, is also in the field, as are Margie’s Intention, winner of the Allaire du Pont Stakes at Laurel in May, Nerazurri, winner of the Lady Jacqueline Stakes at Thistledown in June, and Speed Shopper, who will be returning to dirt for the first time since May 2025.
Naomis makes U.S. debut in Lake Placid.
In the Grade 2, $400,000 Lake Placid Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf, the Group 2 winner Naomis makes her first start in this country and first for Chad Brown, who has won this race six times.
Naomis, previously trained by Henri-Alex Pantall, won the Group 2 Sandringham Stakes before being purchased privately by Madaket Stables. Brown also sends out Deep Learnings, who is coming off a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Lake George.
Also entered in the eight-horse field were Queen of Hawaii, Kokomotion, Flowerhead, Oscar Bound, Nonconsecutivetrms, Ultimate Love and East Jabip, the latter making her first start for trainer Todd Pletcher after racing for Brian Lynch.
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