By J.N. Campbell
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 the Big A Sept. 29. Ways and Means went off as the favorite in the GI PNC Bank Filly & Mare Sprint at Del Mar, but she finished off the board to close out her year. Returning to kick start her 4-year-old campaign, the homebred was third in the GII Derby City Distaff on the 'Run for the Roses' undercard.
The 50 cents on the dollar favorite here was in the mix shortly after the bell, but Irish Maxima (Maximus Mischief) punched the accelerator from the rail and led up the backstretch. Ways and Means dogged her track to the outside around the far turn and was full of run at the top of the lane. Shooting over to the rail, the Chad Brown trainee flashed more speed and took home the prize. 'TDN Rising Star' Scylla (Tapit) ran on for second.
“She loves Saratoga, and she's a super nice horse,” said trainer Chad Brown. “She's won on a sloppy track before, but now that we're getting to run her more, she now has 10 career starts, you can see she does prefer a fast track.
“I was confident she was training very well, but I'll tell you, entering that final turn there she was catching a lot of pressure between horses and Scylla is a nice horse and was closer today and getting a nice ground-saving trip. I thought maybe it would be quite a showdown in the middle of the stretch there but [Ways and Means] did burst away from there, which was impressive.”
Pedigree Notes:
Practical Joke (by Into Mischief), who showed his own affinity for racing upstate when he broke his maiden on debut then won the GI Hopeful Stakes and later the GI H. Allen Jerkens Stakes, was campaigned by Seth Klarman in partnership with William H. Lawrence.
The same partnership entered Ways and Means's Ontario-bred dam, Strong Incentive (Warrior's Reward), who registered a career high in Woodbine's Jammed Lovely Stakes. She brought $2.15 million from Alpha Delta Stables in foal to Good Magic at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.
Ways and Means is the third graded winner from her dam, who is also responsible for Klaravich's graded winner Highly Motivated (Into Mischief) and Grade I heroine Surge Capacity (Flintshire {GB}). The Bed o' Roses winner is part of an extended female family which includes GII Penn Mile Stakes hero Wow Whata Summer (Summer Front).
Strong Incentive produced a filly by Good Magic last year and was bred back to Into Mischief for this season.
Friday, Saratoga
BED O' ROSES S.-GII, $300,000, Saratoga, 6-6, 4yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:21.11, ft.
1–WAYS AND MEANS, 124, f, 4, by Practical Joke
1st Dam: Strong Incentive (SW, $123,568),
by Warrior's Reward
2nd Dam: G G's Dolly, by Comic Strip
3rd Dam: Parfait, by Kingmambo
'TDN Rising Star'. O/B-Klaravich Stables (KY); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $165,000. Lifetime Record: GISW 10-5-2-1, $997,500. *1/2 to Surge Capacity (Flintshire {GB}), GISW, $547,100 and Highly Motivated (Into Mischief), GSW, $667,375. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Scylla, 124, m, 5, Tapit–Close Hatches, by First Defence. O/B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-William I. Mott. $60,000.
3–Jody's Pride, 124, f, 4, American Pharoah–Jody's Song, by Scat Daddy. O-Parkland Thoroughbreds and Sportsmen Stable; B-Mr. Steve Weston (KY); T-Jorge R. Abreu. $36,000.
Margins: 7 3/4, 6 1/4, NO. Odds: 0.50, 4.50, 8.30.
Also Ran: Miss Justify, Irish Maxima, Justique, St. Benedicts Prep.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
WAYS AND MEANS dominates the Grade 2 Bed o' Roses Stakes under Flavien Prat for trainer Chad Brown! pic.twitter.com/AhOhvIvaxX
— Belmont Stakes (@BelmontStakes) June 6, 2025
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