Ways and Means

Ways and Means flashed natural ability as a 2-year-old when winning her career debut by 12 ¾ lengths at Saratoga Race Course and then running second in the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes in her second start.

The bay filly made a nice impression in her 3-year-old debut when returning from more than 6 ½ months off to finish second in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks Presented by FanDuel TV on March 30. She took the lead in early stretch but could not hold off Power Squeeze and finished a length behind the winner.

Ways and Means got back in the win column when back at Saratoga as a 3-year-old. First, she won a one-mile allowance race by 8 1/4 lengths during the brief June meet on June 6, 2024, but at that point the best was still yet to come. Was and Means returned to Saratoga on Aug. 3 for the running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Test Stakes going seven furlongs. Sent off as the 0.70-1 favorite in a five-horse field in the Test Stakes, Ways and Means delivered with a 2 1/2-length victory over a muddy track. 

Ways and Means made one final tune-up for a planned start in the Breeders’ Cup Sept. 29, when she faced off against four opponents in the 6 ½-furlong, $250,000 Gallant Bloom Stakes at Belmont at the Big A. She sat off the early pace set by eventual runner-up Nic’s Style and took over at will at the top of the stretch en route to an easy four-length victory with Flavien Prat aboard.

Ways and Means closed out her 2024 season with fifth-place finish, beaten by 1 ¾ lengths in the PNC Bank Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Nov. 2 at Del Mar. She was within a length of the lead in early stretch in the Filly & Mare Sprint but faded in the final furlong.

Ways and Means made her 4-year-old debut in the Derby City Distaff Stakes presented by Kendall-Jackson Winery on the 2025 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve undercard May 3 at Churchill Downs. She battled gamely in the stretch on a sloppy track but had to settle for third place in the Grade 1 race in her first start in six months.

The Practical Joke filly regained her elite form in her next start five weeks later in the $300,000, Grade 2 Bed o’ Roses Stakes June 6 at Saratoga Race Course, where she surged clear from just off the pace to a runaway 7 ¾-length victory under Flavien Prat.

After her win in the 2025 Bed o' Roses, Ways and Means was away from the track for nearly 11 months. She returned for another try in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff Presented by Ford May 2, 2026 and finished second to R Disaster.

The now 5-year-old mare then went for a repeat win in the Grade 2 Bed o’ Roses at Saratoga. Sent off as the odds-on favorite, she broke well and sat just off of speedy pacesetter Grand Job before engaging that foe at the top of the stretch. Grand Job found another gear and opened up by a length, but under Flavien Prat’s urging, Ways and Means fought back in the final strides and edged Grand Job by a nose in a thrilling contest.

Ways and Means continued her dominance at Saratoga Race Course again in her next start when she ran off to an easy win in the Grade 1 $500,000 Resort World Casino Ballerina Stakes going seven furlongs at The Spa on Aug. 29. Sent off as the 1.35-1 favorite atop a nine-horse field in the Ballerina, Ways and Means took up her usual up close stalking position behind a fast pace. She then turned on the jets in the stretch to leave the rest of the field in her dust enroute to a 5 1/2-length victory. The win improved Ways and Means' career record at Saratoga to six wins in seven starts. The Ballerina was a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series "Win and You're In" qualifying race, and with her score she earned a fees-paid berth in the starting gate for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint Oct. 31 at Keeneland.

Ways and Means did not race again until the Filly & Mare Sprint, where she was sent off as the even-money favorite. Jockey Flavien Prat settled her into a stalking position early while saving ground, and made the winning move at the quarter pole to angle behind tiring pacesetter Kerry’s Kiss. The mare responded to his cue, and Ways and Means proved much the best in a 6 ¼-length runaway, securing her eighth career win in 14 starts and her first outside of New York.

The Klaravich Stables homebred is a half-sister (same dam [mother], different sire [father]) to Grade 1 winner Surge Capacity and stakes winner Highly Motivated, the 2021 Toyota Blue Gras Stakes runner-up.