Exotics Plays for the Ballerina Stakes

A fabulous field of 12 fillies and mares will jaunt seven-eighths on the Saratoga main strip in Saturday’s $500,000 Ballerina (G1). Many major races for fillies and mares sprinting on this circuit often begin with the Chad Brown-trained #7 Ways and Means (9-5), and deservedly so. The classy daughter of Practical Joke has displayed massive ability dating back to her juvenile season. She almost always delivers with a huge effort, evidenced by her brave tally in the Bed o’ Roses (G2) on the course on June 5. 

Ballerina Exotics

• $2 exacta box 1,7,11,12 ($24)
• 50-cent trifecta 1,7 with 1,7,11,12 with 1,2,7,8,10,11,12 ($15)
• 10-cent superfecta 1,7 with 1,7,11,12 with 1,7,11,12 with all ($10.80)

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Ways and Means sports a robust 6-5-0-1 mark on the Saratoga dirt in her lifetime, and she will be fresh coming off a taxing race when she had to battle back late to collar a very good foe who was clear in the lane. Her string of drills on the Oklahoma training surface in preparation for the heat has been strong, and while I’m not in love with her morning-line price in a deep affair, she is a must-use, nonetheless. Flavien Prat retains the ride. 

I have really liked #1 Echo Sound (15-1) since her debut in August of 2024 and expect her to have a fine second half of the 2026 season. One of two in the heat for trainer Rusty Arnold, the four-year-old bay is six-for-nine in her career and rolled home a facile winner in her 2026 debut at Monmouth last time out. The filly was a dominant victress of the Victory Ride S. (G3) on the surface last season, and while she has a tricky slot on the rail at a distance that she is not proven over, she is still immensely talented and too big of a price for me to ignore with Saez in the silks. 

Stonestreet homebred #12 Eclatant (3-1) has elevated her game in 2026 with three wins from three tries led by a game victory in the Madison (G1) at Keeneland in the spring. Cox's trainee is six-for-eight in sprint races in her career with three tallies at seven panels, and she possesses enough tactical speed to avoid being left behind from the widest post in the dash. The Into Mischief filly could be any kind on this surface with Manny Franco inheriting the mount. 

Bill Mott’s #11 Beauty Reigns (15-1) is thriving right now, and I will give her a big chance at a fine number. The daughter of Into Mischief has never been better and has improved her Brisnet Speed rating in a trio of races in succession. She was a sharp allowance heroine on the surface in advance of this tilt, and the Grade-1 placed filly also fired a bullet on the Oklahoma in her latest morning move, too. The four-year-old will need some luck from off the pace but fits well in my opinion beneath Junior Alvarado.