Ted Noffey powers to triumph in Breeders’ Futurity

Lexington, Ky.

Through just three career starts Ted Noffey has the trifecta of what breeders want out of a 2-year-old colt by a fashionable stallion.

Multiple Grade 1 winner.

Likely Breeders’ Cup Juvenile favorite.

Leader on the Kentucky Derby points board.

Spendthrift Farm’s Ted Noffey checked all those boxes by virtue of his 2 3/4-length score Saturday in the Grade 1, $650,000 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland, a win-and-you’re-in race for the Juvenile and a Kentucky Derby 2026 points race.

Click here for Keeneland entries and results.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said the Into Mischief colt would return to Saratoga to train for the Breeders’ Cup on Oct. 31 at Del Mar.

“We’ll leave it to Todd what comes next, but it’s hard not to think about the Breeders’ Cup,” Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey said. “When a 2-year-old wins a two-turn race like that after looking so impressive sprinting, you can’t help thinking about the big races including dreaming about the Derby.

“There is a long way to go, though, so we’ll leave it to Todd to get us to where we want to be.”

With John Velázquez riding, Ted Noffey went off as the 4-5 favorite in the field of six 3-year-olds, pressing Del Mar shipper Litmus Test early before taking control on the far turn in the short-stretch race. He was up open lengths into the stretch, and runner up Blackout Time was never a threat for the win while finishing comfortably in second, 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Litmus Test.

The final time was 1:43.98 for the 1 1/16 miles on the fast main track.

“This horse is so push button, he can go to the front or press the pace,” Pletcher said. “I love the fact he laid second. I left it up to Johnny V. what to do, because you never know who might show crazy speed with this being a 2-year-old race.”

“I was never worried at any point in the race,” Velázquez said. “I just wanted to make sure I was in the open when I asked him to run. He was full of run. I dropped my hands, and off we went.”

Blackout Time was clearly second best, but trainer Ken McPeek was reticent to commit the Not This Time colt to the Breeders’ Cup.

“He’s still young, and I’m positive he’s going to make his presence felt over the next seven months, but I’m not sure I want to ship to California,” McPeek said. “There was no disgrace in running second today.”

Spendthrift acquired Ted Noffey for $650,000 at last year’s Keeneland September yearling sale. The colt is named for a typo of Toffey’s name that appeared in an industry publication.

Pletcher said he chose to ship the colt to Keeneland for the Breeders’ Futurity to get two-turn experience. The Champagne (G1), Saturday’s Juvenile prep in New York, is a one-turn mile. The Hall of Fame trainer added he would ship his string to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup “later rather than sooner.

“We’ve had some luck shipping in to California late,” Pletcher said. “We did that with Locked before he won the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) and Fierceness before the Pacific Classic (G1). We’ll train our horses at Saratoga and go from there.”

Ted Noffey is undefeated in three starts with career earnings of $617,963.