Ways and Means shows her affinity for Saratoga again in Ballerina
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. − Trainer Chad Brown calls her a “Saratoga Special” and Ways and Means showed just why on Saturday when drawing off to an eye-catching 5 1/2-length victory over Kilwin and an outstanding field of older fillies and mares over her favorite track in the $500,000 Ballerina Stakes.
Ways and Means’s one-sided triumph in the Grade 1 Ballerina was her sixth victory in seven starts at Saratoga and her second Grade 1 success. She also won the Test in relatively easy fashion as a 3-year-old here in 2024.
On Saturday, Ways and Means appeared to be facing one of the sternest tests of her career, going up against a lineup that featured three other Grade 1 winners in a race that offered a fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Oct. 31 at Keeneland, a race Ways and Means finished a somewhat disappointing fifth in as the 2-1 favorite last fall at Del Mar.
Ways and Means benefitted from another flawless ride by her regular jockey Flavien Prat, who registered his fifth win of the day in the Ballerina. The 5-year-old homebred daughter of Pracitcal Joke recovering from a bit of a tardy beginning to settle into perfect striking position off a lively pace set by Maida and prompted by both Echo Sound and R Disaster.
Ways and Means commenced her bid midway on the second turn, readily overtook the tiring leaders upon settling into the stretch then extended her advantage with complete authority through the final furlong.
The stretch-running Kilwin, winner of the 2025 Test, trailed for the opening five furlongs then rallied steadily near the inside to best the others, while never menacing the winner. Beauty Reigns was along at the end to be third.
Owned by her breeder, Klaravich Stables Inc., Ways and Means completed seven furlongs in 1:22.05 seconds, her final time .43 seconds faster than Hymn covered the same distance winning the Grade 1 Forego an hour earlier. Bet to 6-5 favorite, Ways and Means returned $4.70.
“Flavien [Prat] said he was going to try to separate from the back horses and get her out in the clear where she was happy and every furlong, as the race developed, he was executing exactly what he drew up in the paddock,” said Brown.
Of all the big races Ways and Means has won up to this point in her career, Brown conceded the Ballerina was probably her best yet.
“She’s definitely a Saratoga special, hopefully she can take her track to Keeneland,” Brown added. “She’s never run there and I can’t promise she will, but I can say she’s in top form now and that track has some similarities to Saratoga. Unlike Del Mar last year.”
Brown said he plans to train Ways and Means up to the Breeders’ Cup off her effort in the Ballerina.
“She runs so good fresh,” Brown explained. “I rested her between her last race when she was fully extended to let her refill her tank and we’ll probably do the same thing now.”
“That was a big effort,” said Kilwin’s trainer Rusty Arnold. “She was back a little farther than I thought, but she had a good trip to get up there and a really good filly beat her. That’s probably the best female sprinter in the country. We’ll come back and try again.”
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