Ted Noffey likely headed to stakes company after TDN ‘Rising Star’ debut win

Ted Noffey, a 2-year-old Into Mischief colt named after Spendthrift Farm general manager Ned Toffey, came home a 1 ½-length winner in his Aug. 2 debut at Saratoga to become the latest TDN ‘Rising Star’ for his sire.

Ted Noffey, who was named after an inadvertent typo on a social media post, had been working well for his 6 ½-furlong debut. Breaking from the outside post in the field of eight 2-year-olds, the striking gray/roan was in close contact with the leaders down the backstretch. He went four-wide on the turn and took the lead in upper stretch, then held off Criteria late to get the win.

The final time of 1:17.56 ended up being a faster final clocking than what ‘Rising Star’ Ewing produced a couple races later when winning the Saratoga Special (G2).

Bred by Aaron and Marie Jones LLC, Spendthrift purchased Ted Noffey for $650,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September sale.

“He’s a beautiful animal,” Toffey said. “He’s a big classy-looking horse. He’s got some leg under him. He’s very athletic. Looks like the kind of Into Mischief that can stretch out and go two turns. Really excited about him.”

“I think so, yes,” added trainer Todd Pletcher when asked if Ted Noffey would run in the Sept. 1 Hopeful (G1). “I thought that was excellent–very good debut. He had been training well, and we were looking forward to a good effort. It was interesting to be faster than the stake. I thought he did everything the right way. He came out of it excellent.”