7th-Saratoga, $110,000, Alw, 6-6, (NW1$X), 3yo/up, f/m, 1m, 1:35.90, ft, 8 1/4 lengths.
WAYS AND MEANS (f, 3, Practical Joke–Strong Incentive {SW, $123,568}, by Warrior's Reward) was given an entry for Friday's GI Acorn S., but took in this race in its stead and duly stamped her authority on it as the 1-5 mortal. Drawn two from the outside going the Wilton Chute config and adding Lasix for the first time, last year's GI Spinaway S. runner-up was trapped out wide as they angled towards the backstretch and raced out of harm's way from fourth into the final half-mile. Crusing up towards the lead rounding the turn, she was asked to win her race a quarter-mile from home and widened on her overmatched rivals to score by a considerable distance. Having romped to the 'TDN Rising Star' tag on debut last summer, Ways and Means returned to action with a troubled second in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks Mar. 30 and was most recently fourth from a high draw in the GI Kentucky Oaks May 3. Strong Incentive, a $200,000 OBS April grad, won the 2015 Jammed Lovely S. for Klaravich and William H. Lawrence before Mike Ryan paid $40,000 for the mare, in foal to Practical Joke, to dissolve the partnership at the 2018 Keeneland November Sale. From there, the family took off, as Strong Incentive accounted for GSW Highly Motivated (Into Mischief), GSW, $667,375, and about a month before Strong Incentive's daughter Surge Capacity (Flintshire {GB}), GISW, $547,100, won the GI Matriarch S. last December, the mare was purchased by Jon Clay's Alpha Delta Stables for $2.15 million in foal to Good Magic at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale. She produced a filly this year. Klaravich will be represented in the Acorn by Kentucky Oaks third Regulatory Risk (Omaha Beach).Lifetime Record: GISP, 5-2-2-0, $294,500. Click for theEquibase.com chart and VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O/B-Klaravich Stables Inc (KY); T-Chad C Brown.
WAYS AND MEANS, the 3YO daughter of @coolmoreamerica stallion Practical Joke, dominates the seventh race with Flavien Prat aboard for trainer Chad Brown. pic.twitter.com/YymQMYMUv5
— Belmont Stakes (@BelmontStakes) June 6, 2024
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