Aqueduct: Ways and Means glides by 4 in Gallant Bloom

Klaravich Stables’ Kentucky homebred Ways and Means, the 2-5 post-time favorite, proved superior over four rivals including three older horses in Sunday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Gallant Bloom Stakes, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for fillies and mares at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by four-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown, the sophomore daughter of Klaravich-campaigned and Brown-trained Practical Joke entered from a breakout 2 1/2-length win Aug. 3 at Saratoga in the Test (G1), her first graded conquest after two previous runner-up efforts that came in last September’s Spinaway (G1) at the Spa and in March in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2). Her lone off-the-board effort in seven career starts came over wet going in May in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) where she finished an even fourth.

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“It was impressive,” Brown said of the four-length win in the Gallant Bloom. “Hopefully she comes out of the race good. I was worried about the track, because she didn’t run good on an off track in the Kentucky Oaks, but there might have been a lot of factors for that, not just a wet track.”

Expertly piloted by Flavien Prat, Ways and Means emerged from post 3 of five on even terms with Nic’s Style and Hot Fudge. She raced between those foes as Nic’s Style came away with the lead and marked the opening quarter-mile in 22.65 seconds over the sloppy and sealed footing.

Approaching the turn, Hot Fudge ranged up three wide under José Lezcano while Nic’s Style battled on along the inside under Júnior Alvarado. Ways and Means accelerated strongly between her foes and took a one-length advantage at the stretch call after the half-mile elapsed in 45.96 seconds.

Prat needed only to keep his filly to task with a strong hand ride down the stretch as a game Nic’s Style stayed on well for the minor awards. Ways and Means drew off to a comfortable victory with a final time of 1:15.46 with Nic’s Style holding place by 2 3/4 lengths over the oncoming New York-bred Sterling Silver. Hot Fudge and Pacific Rose, who trailed throughout, completed the order of finish.

Ways and Means is targeting a year-end goal of the seven-furlong Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint on Nov. 2 at Del Mar, a race that falls 13 weeks from the date of her Test conquest. Brown opted to give her one start in between and said he liked what he saw from the talented bay.

“I love how Flavien kept his position. It was kind of tight going down the backside, and I wasn’t sure if he was going to tug her back or let her go,” Brown said. “I’m happy that he went, and she put away a good filly. That filly on the inside is pretty fast. It was a perfect prep, so long as she comes out healthy. I wasn’t feeling comfortable with a 13-week layoff to the Breeders’ Cup, and that’s going to be a real race going seven furlongs out there.”

Prat, who has been aboard for all but two of Ways and Means’s lifetime outings, said he was content to sit just off Bill Mott-trained Nic’s Style and see how things developed.

“I thought obviously the filly of Mr. Mott was going to be the leader. But just try to break clean and get out running for at least the first furlong and see where we would land, but that was pretty much it,” Prat said. “I thought it was very good. It felt like I was traveling very well all the way around, and when I asked her to get going down the lane, she responded the proper way. I mean it was just a smooth trip from her part.”

Alvarado said previously undefeated Nic’s Style performed admirably in her stakes bow.

“There was a little bit of a question mark about how she would handle the track. On the backside she was turning sideways a little bit. But still, the winner was much the best today,” Alvarado said. “She gave me a great effort and fought all the way to the wire. We got beat by one of the best stakes mares in the country, so nothing to be ashamed of finishing second today.”

Ways and Means is out of the Brown-trained and Klaravich-co-campaigned stakes winner Strong Incentive, who also produced graded-stakes winners Surge Capacity and Highly Motivated for the same connections.

Ways and Means banked $137,500 in victory, improving her lifetime record to 7: 4-2-0 and returning $2.90 on a $2 win bet.