'This is Her House': Ways and Means Waltzes to Ballerina WIn

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.

A Klaravich homebred, Ways and Means settled comfortably in fourth early as 23-1 July 26 GII Honorable Miss Stakes winner Maida (Improbable) showed the way through :21.91 and :44.33 early fractions while GSW Echo Sound (Echo Town) and last-out GI Derby City Distaff winner R Disaster (Awesome Slew) chased. Ways and Means let the leading trio have their way while giving them plenty of space–keeping about three lengths of daylight behind them–then began revving up entering the turn. She stormed up alongside the frontrunners at the top of the lane and didn't take a deep breath, leaving them in her wake and romping home in a sparkling display, prompting track announcer Frank Mirahmadi to proclaim, “Ways and Means in another spectacular performance. This is her house! Ways and Means absolutely crushes them in the Ballerina.”

Although the official margin of victory was 5 1/2 lengths, Ways and Means did it so easily the margin may as well have been double that. Last season's Test winner Kilwin (Twirling Candy) closed from far back for second while 12-1 Beauty Reigns (Into Mischief) got up for third. Ways and Means got the seven furlongs in 1:22.05.

“I was traveling well behind the pace, and when I got to the turn I didn't want to move too soon, but she naturally came with me and was wanting to go, so I kind of let her creep up to the pace,” said Prat.

“I think she has always shown how good she is. I think before it was more of a raw talent, but [now] she has the ability to be a bit more push-button.”

In seven starts at the Spa, Ways and Means has six victories, including a last-out GII Bed o' Roses Stakes win June 5 when she recorded a 107 Beyer Speed Figure. She got a 111 Beyer in her win in that same race in 2025. Ways and Means also won Saratoga's GI Test Stakes in 2024, with her only career loss at Saratoga a second in the GI Spinaway Stakes at two.

“She's had an amazing career,” said Brown after the Ballerina, “and she was able to come through once again and shine on one of the biggest days of the year up here in Saratoga.”

Ways and Means has won at least one race at Saratoga for each of the last four years.

Brown continued: “”I think from here on to the Breeders' Cup, I wouldn't plan on running her [again]. She runs so well fresh. A long career, you can see I rested her between that last race she had, which she was fully extended there, and after the last time, a little tired afterwards. I let her refill her tank and gave her plenty of time. I'm inclined to do the same thing now, final career start being the Breeders' Cup, if she tells me.”

Pedigree Notes:

Woodbine's Jammed Lovely Stakes winner Strong Incentive (Warrior's Reward) is the dam of Ways and Means, GISW Surge Capacity (Flintshire {GB}), and GSW Highly Motivated (Into Mischief). The mare has been through the ring a number of times, most recently at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton November sale, when she brought $2.75 million to the bid of M.V. Magnier and White Birch Farm. Her 2024 Alpha Delta Stables-bred filly, Alpe d'Huez (Good Magic), is working toward her first start and went four furlongs Saturday morning at Saratoga in :48.75 (32/89). The mare has a yearling colt by Into Mischief and was bred back to that same stallion for 2027.

Strong Incentive's current yearling and current cover harkens back to the identical cross that produced her son Highly Motivated, but is also responsible for Ways and Means, as the Ballerina winner is by one of Into Mischief's top sire sons in Practical Joke. One of Practical Joke's earliest top runners–his first-crop MGSW & MGISP Wit–is also bred similarly, as he's out of a Medaglia d'Oro mare. Warrior's Reward, Ways and Means's broodmare sire, is a son of Medaglia d'Oro.

Practical Joke is a Coolmore America stallion and himself a two-time Grade I winner at Saratoga. He has 32 graded winners and 48 black-type winners worldwide among his progeny.

Five wins so far for Flavien Prat! 🔥

🎙️ @MaggieWolfndale talks with him after winning the Grade 1 @RWCatskills Ballerina Stakes aboard WAYS AND MEANS. pic.twitter.com/8oXbBWBDsR

— NYRA (🎪) (@TheNYRA) August 29, 2026

Saturday, Saratoga
RESORTS WORLD CASINO BALLERINA S.-GI, $500,000, Saratoga, 8-29, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:22.05, ft.
1–WAYS AND MEANS, 124, m, 5, 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. $275,000. Lifetime Record: 13-7-3-1,
$1,637,500. *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–Kilwin, 126, f, 4, by Twirling Candy
            1st Dam: Spanish Star, by Blame
            2nd Dam: La Gran Bailadora, by Afleet Alex
            3rd Dam: Affirmed Dancer, by Affirmed
($225,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $575,000 RNA 2yo '24 KEECHA;
$3,000,000 3yo '25 KEENOV). O-BBN Racing, LLC and Howard,
Rick; B-Gilder-Schwarz Farms LLC (KY); T-George R. Arnold II.
$100,000.
3–Beauty Reigns, 124, f, 4, by Into Mischief
            1st Dam: Ilsa, by Tapit
            2nd Dam: Sweet Way, by Giant's Causeway
            3rd Dam: Sweet Life, by Kris S.
O-Tranquility Lake Farms LLC; B-Wygod Equine, LLC (KY);
T-William I. Mott. $60,000.
Margins: 5HF, 1 1/4, NK. Odds: 1.35, 3.72, 12.29.
Also Ran: Echo Sound, Paradise City, R Disaster, Eclatant, Maida, Grammy Girl. Scratched: Kappa Kappa, Munnings Express, Usha. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.