Heavily favored Kentucky-bred Ted Noffey remained undefeated with a facile score in the $650,000 Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland.
Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez, Ted Noffey raced in second early, tracking the pace set by Litmus Test. He forged to an advantage with a quarter mile remaining and drew off in the stretch to win by 2 ¾ lengths over Blackout Time at the finish. Ted Noffey completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.98.
The victory marked the third time Pletcher and Velazquez teamed up to win the Breeders’ Futurity. They won in 2013 with We Miss Artie and in 2014 with Carpe Diem. Pletcher also saddled the winner in 2022 with Forte and 2023 with Locked.
Ted Noffey Remains Undefeated
“The good thing about him is that he’s actually pretty kind,” said Velazquez. “I know he breaks pretty well out of there, let him run to the first turn, put the bit in his mouth — just kind. He answers right back to you. That’s the great thing about him. He’s not a horse that’s going to be running off. When he gets close to the horse on the lead, he wants to get a little aggressive, so I took a little hold of him so he wouldn’t go too early. But after that he was pretty easy and agreeable, kept the head in front of him. Once he opened up in the lane, he started easing up, waiting for the other horses, so I was kind of keeping him busy. Got to give it to the team (of trainer Todd Pletcher) to get him ready. They did a great job.”
A Keeneland sales graduate, Ted Noffey is a son of Into Mischief out of the Old Fashioned mare Streak of Luck. Now a two-time Grade 1 winner, Ted Noffey has earned $617,963. In his previous outing, the gray or roan colt won the Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.