Ways and Means, the heavy favorite who will have to overcome multiple challenges
The formidable mare from the Chad Brown barn will seek redemption in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1)over 1,400 meters, looking to put behind her disappointing effort in the 2024 edition. R Disaster, Explora, and Kerry's Kiss loom as her main rivals in a contest that promises a blistering early pace
LEXINGTON, Kentucky (From a special correspondent).— Ways and Means boasts all the necessary credentials to be considered the heavy favorite for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), but this Saturday at Keeneland, she will have to answer several major questions. The first will be whether she can replicate outside of Saratoga the extraordinary performances that established her as one of the premier sprinters in the United States.
The daughter of Practical Joke, trained by Chad Brown, enters the $1-million feature over 1,400 meters on the heels of two consecutive victories, including a crushing 5 1/2-length display in the Ballerina Stakes (G1).
Her speed figures are equally staggering. She holds six lifetime triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures, topping out at a 111 when she captured the 2025 Bed o' Roses Stakes by 7 3/4 lengths.
However, six of her seven career victories have come at Saratoga, and she has never raced over the Keeneland dirt track.
“It's an unknown, naturally. But I believe her big races at Saratoga are linked more to her training routine on the Oklahoma track than to a specific track preference,” Brown explained.
The trainer pointed out that Ways and Means also delivered an authoritative victory in the Gallant Bloom Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct, proving her ability to excel away from her preferred venue.
His chief concern centers around post position 2 in a crowded field loaded with early speed: “Flavien Prat will have to work it out. The main thing will be to break cleanly, secure a good position, and avoid getting boxed in,” he noted.
Ways and Means previously contested this event in 2024, finishing fifth, beaten just a length and a quarter for it all.
“She's a vastly superior mare now. She has never been in better physical condition or trained the way she is working right now,” Brown asserted.
Looming among her primary challengers is Explora (Blame), a 3-year-old filly trained by Bob Baffert who will be testing older rivals for the first time.
A 5-length winner of the Test Stakes (G1), she comes off an unexpected head defeat to Conceit (Not This Time) in the Dogwood Stakes (G3) after engaging in a grueling early duel for the lead.
“She's in fantastic shape and drew a great post in 11. If she runs her best race, she can win,” stated Baffert, who will be without Nooni (Win Win Win) after she was scratched.
Another trainer with a multi-pronged assault is Saffie Joseph Jr., who captured this race in 2024 with Soul of an Angel(Atreides).
His main card is R Disaster (Awesome Slew), precisely the only mare to defeat Ways and Means this season. She bested her by 2 1/4 lengths in the Derby City Distaff (G1) in gate-to-wire fashion, before replicating that performance to take the Gallant Bloom Stakes (G2).
Joseph will also send out Kerry's Kiss (Vino Rosso), unbeaten in three starts since joining his barn and coming off a victory in the Princess Rooney Stakes (G3).
While both fillies typically do their best work on the lead, the trainer believes they possess tactical flexibility: “I don't think either of them strictly needs the lead. It will depend entirely on how they break and their early positions,” he explained.
Michael McCarthy will saddle Simply Joking (Practical Joke) and Look Forward (Bolt d'Oro). The former boasts G1 placings, though she has yet to win over 1,400 meters, while her stablemate recently resurfaced following a 13-month layoff.
Also demanding consideration is Evanescence (Munnings), coming in hot following her victory in the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2) right here at Keeneland.
Sweet Azteca (Sharp Azteca), riding a four-race winning streak spanning two seasons, and Kilwin (Twirling Candy),winner of the 2025 Test Stakes, round out a fiercely competitive lineup.
The remaining contenders include Foie Gras (Volatile) and Majestic Oops (Majestic Harbor), while Praying was scratched from the contest.
The abundance of pure speed portends a blistering early pace, making trip management and saving energy for the stretch drive crucial.
Ways and Means stands out for her individual class and superior speed figures, but an inside draw and a relentless group of front-runners will put her to the test from the gate.
For Chad Brown, it represents the opportunity to erase the disappointment of 2024. For his extraordinary mare, it is the chance to prove that her dominance recognizes no boundaries or racetracks.
