Ways and Means

Three of this week's six fastest females wore the red-and-white silks of Klaravich Stable owner Seth Klarman, who invested in them wisely. 6--DONOR ADVISED, SAR, 8/30-4th, Allowance, Beyer Speed Figure-92 (video) (f, 4, Gun Runner--Toy Moon, by Malibu Moon) O-Klaravich Stable. B-Chancey Mill Farm. T-Chad Brown. J-Manny Franco. Klarman and Brown capped their sensational weekend with this 8/1 score on Sunday, as Donor Advised made a strong return from a 13-month layoff. Gun Runner clearly had a major influence on her $350,000 yearling pricetag: her dam retired a seven-race maiden...

The team of Klaravich Stables, Chad Brown, and Flavien Prat, who won the GI Personal Ensign Stakes earlier on Saratoga's Travers Day card with Fully Subscribed (Tiz the Law), was back at it in the GI Resorts World Casino Ballerina Stakes as their 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Ways and Means (m, 5, Practical Joke--Strong Incentive, by Warrior's Reward) romped to a facile 5 1/2-length score. The Ballerina offers a fees-paid 'Win and You're In' berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Keeneland Oct. 31....

All six fillies and mares below ran during Saratoga's all-star Belmont Stakes Festival. 6. AG BULLET, SAR, June 6, Jaipur Stakes (Gr. I), 5 1/2 furlongs (turf) (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-99 (2nd) (m, 6, by Twirling Candy--Noble Grey, by Forestry) O-Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran. B-H & E Ranch (Ky). T-Richard Baltas. J-John Velazquez. The defending Jaipur champ became a Gr. I winner in this race last year and again Baltas chose to face males for $500,000 rather than females for $250,000 in Thursday's Intercontinental. That decision looks sound in...

Heavy is the head that wears the crown, but for the reigning queen of the GII Bed O' Roses Stakes, it proved to be figurative weight she could valiantly bear en route to her title defense. Ways and Means (Practical Joke) looked to be beaten at the head of affairs, but gamely re-rallied in the final yards to nail a wildly unlucky Grand Job (Justify) by a nose in an exciting 2026 running at Saratoga. The Chad Brown trainee has had a very short career the last two seasons--her 2025...

No fewer than 116 horses recorded workouts over the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga Saturday morning, including the heaviest hitters from the barn of trainer Bill Mott. Reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty (Into Mischief) returned to the tab for the first time since his runner-up effort to White Abarrio (Race Day) when making his seasonal debut in the GII Oaklawn Handicap on Apr. 18. The Godolphin homebred was partnered in his work by his regular exercise rider Jimmy Quispe and went an easy half-mile in :50.05 (67/88). "He went...

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. picked up the first Grade I of Kentucky Derby day Saturday as 7-1 shot R Disaster (Awesome Slew) caught a flyer from the gate and took the field gate to wire under Tyler Gaffalione. Never off the board in 15 prior starts, the Florida-bred entered off a third when caught on the lead in the seven-furlong GI Madison Stakes at Keeneland  Apr. 6, her first try at the top level. Clearly a mare who takes her racetrack with her, she's continued to post increasing Beyer Speed...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY -- She would have been the likely favorite in next Saturday's $500,000 GI Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. But that point is moot now. 'TDN Rising Star' Ways and Means (Practical Joke) won't run. Trainer Chad Brown delivered the news Thursday morning at his barn on the Oklahoma Training Track. "Unfortunately, she got sick," Brown said, sitting at his desk in his office. "She's sick, she's not running. Next question. There is nothing to talk about. She's going to miss the race." Brown was forced to...

A 2024 Eclipse Award finalist in the Female Sprinter category, Ways and Means (Practical Joke) chaired the GII Bed o' Roses Stakes session like a seasoned pro at the Spa on Friday afternoon. Named a 'TDN Rising Star' after debuting a winner by an eye-catching 12 3/4 lengths as a juvenile upstate that August, the filly last season turned in a sparkling performance when she netted the GI Test Stakes over the local course Aug. 3, and followed that up with a score in the GII Gallant Bloom Stakes at...

Five of Chad Brown's Grade I-winning brigade hit the work tab at Saratoga over the weekend, led by MGISW Raging Sea (Curlin) and MGISW Spirit of St Louis (Medaglia d'Oro). Heading out Friday in her first work since pulling the upset in the GI La Troienne on Kentucky Derby weekend, Raging Sea was clocked doing four furlongs over the Oklahoma training track in :49.25 (8/32) while in company with GSW & MGISP Occult (Into Mischief). She is being pointed to the GI Ogden Phipps June 6 during the Belmont Stakes...

Leading into the first Saturday in May, the Beyer Speed Figure benchmark for the year hadn't been set by one of the star 3-year-olds in the nation, but by the 4-year-old California campaigner Kopion (f, 4, Omaha Beach--Galloping Ami, by Victory Gallop), who closed out her 2024 season as a surprise 37-1 victress in the GI La Brea Stakes on Santa Anita's opening day in December. Saturday she made it three in a row and proved her last-out, year-topping 110 Beyer Speed Figure was no fluke as she made the...

With seven-figure mares coming fast and furious at Fasig-Tipton's Night of the Stars sale Monday night, Surge Capacity (Flintshire {GB}) set the early benchmark when realizing $3.6 million to the bid of Emmanuel de Seroux for Narvick International/Grand Stud. Consigned by Elite, agent as Hip 197, Surge Capacity won the 2023 GI Matriarch Stakes and was bred this past spring to Into Mischief for her first foal. Surge Capacity is a half-sister to GISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Ways and Means (Practical Joke) and a full-sister to GSW Highly Motivated....

DEL MAR, CA -- It's showtime. Featuring 14 Grade I races worth more than $34 million in purses, the Breeders' Cup World Championships, with an emphasis on World, return to the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club for a third time, beginning with the 'Future Stars Friday' program. Ideal conditions with sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 60s are expected. A total of 179 horses were entered for the two-day Championships, including a record 67 international participants from nine different countries as well as three previous winners. A stacked renewal of...