By Steve Sherack
Undefeated Ted Noffey (Into Mischief), a runaway winner of the GI Spendthrift Farm Hopeful S. and a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard,' solidified his status as the horse to beat in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile with an impressive performance in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity S. at Keeneland.
Off as the 4-5 favorite while drawn widest of all in post six in this two-turn debut, the Spendthrift Farm colorbearer found a perfect spot in second beneath the hot-handed John Velazquez through an opening quarter in :23.96 and a half mile in :48.23. The handsome gray hit the front on the far turn, kicked for home in control and kept on powering down the stretch to defeat 3-2 second-choice and fellow 'Rising Star' Blackout Time (Not This Time), a dominating maiden winner second out at Ellis Park, by 2 3/4 lengths. Pacesetter Litmus Test (Nyquist) was third.
An eye-catching debut winner going 6 1/2 furlongs on Whitney day at the Spa Aug. 2, Ted Noffey earned a gaudy 98 Beyer in his Hopeful win.
“Everything in his training indicated to us that he wouldn't have any issue with (two turns),” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. “It's always great to see them actually do it. It worked out beautifully today. He had a good trip to the first turn, got into a good rhythm and was just kind of waiting on Johnny (Velazquez) to give him the cue. It was what we were hoping for and what we expected but, like I said, you always want to see it.”
You've certainly heard the 'typo' story behind his name now. Ted Noffey is named, tongue in cheek, for Spendthrift Farm's longtime general manager and Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers' Club 2024 Ted Bates Farm Manager of the Year Ned Toffey, who had his named misspelled in a recent interview with a trade publication.
“I'm sure going to enjoy it, because there's plenty of them that go the other way,” Toffey said. “It's a tough game, and when you have a day like this you'd better enjoy it because tomorrow might be a lot worse. It's a lot of fun. We've been really fortunate. We have great ownership behind us that support everything, a wonderful team, and we're just in a great situation and in a position to have this kind of success. Hopefully, it will continue, but it's a great day and we're sure going to enjoy this.”
Toffey continued, “Our impression from talking to Todd (Pletcher) and from what we've seen is that he would handle the stretch-out. He's a nice sized, scopey, leggy horse, built to like two turns. The way he ran in the Hopeful would make you think he'd like two turns, but they still have to do it. We were cautiously optimistic, but you just never know until they do it, and he sure did it today.”
Spendthrift Farm and Pletcher also won the 2-year-old filly equivalent GI Darley Alcibiades S. with 'Rising Star' Tommy Jo (Into Mischief) via disqualification on Friday's program. Spendthrift won four races on Saturday's card.
Pedigree Notes:
One of 27 top-level winners for Spendthrift Farm's six-time reigning champion general sire Into Mischief, Ted Noffey brought $650,000 from Spendthrift Farm as a Keeneland September yearling.
Ted Noffey's dam SW & MGSP Streak of Luck (Old Fashioned) brought $620,000 from Aaron and Marie Jones at the 2021 KEENOV sale. She is also responsible for a yearling filly by Munnings ($425,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by Repole Stable) and an Into Mischief colt of this year. She was bred back to Not This Time.
TED NOFFEY is the real deal now 3 for 3! He took control coming to the stretch under @ljlmvel pulling away to win the $650,000 @ClaiborneFarm Breeders' Futurity (G1) at @keenelandracing. The son of Into Mischief (@spendthriftfarm) is in the @FanDuel @BreedersCup Juvenile (G1). pic.twitter.com/g3SakINpkg
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) October 4, 2025
Saturday, Keeneland
CLAIBORNE BREEDERS' FUTURITY-GI, $642,594, Keeneland, 10-4, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:43.98, ft.
1–TED NOFFEY, 122, c, 2, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Streak of Luck (SW & MGSP, $352,109), by Old Fashioned
2nd Dam: Valeria, by Elusive Quality
3rd Dam: Lindsay Jean, by Saint Ballado
($650,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard'. O-Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Aaron & Marie Jones LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-John R. Velazquez. $397,963. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $617,963. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Blackout Time, 122, c, 2, Not This Time–Beauty Parlor, by Elusive Quality. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard'. ($230,000 Ylg '24 KEEJAN; $235,000 RNA Ylg '24 KEESEP; $210,000 Ylg '24 FTKOCT). O-Brookdale Racing, Inc., Lance Gasaway and Magdalena Racing; B-Newstead Corp (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $128,375.
3–Litmus Test, 122, c, 2, Nyquist–Study Hard, by Malibu Moon.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($875,000 Ylg '24 FTSAUG). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Bashor, Dianne, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Donovan, Catherine; B-Machmer Hall (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $64,188.
Margins: 2 3/4, 2 1/4, 6 3/4. Odds: 0.92, 1.58, 9.59.
Also Ran: Diciassette, Spice Runner, Big Dom. Scratched: Ewing.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
