The first weekend in August again proved the time for Ways and Means to shine at Saratoga when the three-year-old filly earned a belated first stakes win in the $485,000 Test (G1) on Saturday.
Turning heads a year ago with a 12 3/4-lenth debut win at the Spa, Ways and Means subsequently finished a troubled second to Brightwork in the Spinaway (G1) before her season was prematurely cut short.
Ways and Means didn’t reappear until late March, when she finished second as an odds-on choice in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) over 1 1/16 miles. A distant fourth in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) going nine furlongs, Ways and Means shortened up to prepare for seven-furlong Test by dominating a one-mile, entry-level allowance at Saratoga on June 6.
Sent off as the 7-10 favorite in the Test, which was reduced from a field of six to five after Brightwork was scratched after rearing up in the paddock, Ways and Mays closely stalked pacesetter Emery down the backside. After a fast pace of :22.43 and :44.54 was set, Ways and Means grabbed the lead approaching the quarter pole and steadily drew away through the stretch.
“I thought he did a really good job to assert himself early and from there she really had no excuse with that trip,” trainer Chad Brown said.
Under Flavien Prat, Ways and Means passed the wire 2 1/2 lengths in front of Emery, with My Mane Squeeze two lengths behind in third. Denim and Pearls was fourth, while outsider Belle’s Blue Bell trailed throughout.
A homebred racing for Seth Klarman, Ways and Means paid $3.40 after finishing up in 1:22.28 over a muddy strip.
“Cutting back has been key for her,” Brown said. “She definitely has an affinity to one-turn races and Saratoga. She showed that when she broke her maiden so impressively here. Really her only defeat at Saratoga was in the Spinaway when she had a ton of trouble, clipped heels and actually got seriously injured in the race. Fortunately, she was able to come back from it.
“I’m really interested in working backwards from the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1),” added Brown, who won the race the past two years with dual champion Goodnight Olive. “She’s going to have to face older horses in that race, but she showed today that she does good with good spacing between her races. She runs so fast and hard. I don’t think she needs to run much between now and then. Maybe one start.”
Bred in Kentucky, Ways and Means is a Practical Joke half-sister to Grade 1 winner Surge Capacity and Grade 3 scorer Highly Motivated.
