Ted Noffey

For C R K Stable, owned by Lee and Susan Searing of Claremont, Calif., the celebration actually started the day before the GI Pennsylvania Derby won by Baeza (McKinzie). The Searings own Baeza, who is trained by John Shirreffs, in partnership with Grandview Equine. His victory came just 27 1/2 hours after the stable unveiled a horse who could potentially be better than Baeza. Yes, 'TDN Rising Star' Englishman (Maxfield) was that impressive. The son of a first crop sire, he annihilated a field of maidens at Churchill Downs winning...

Cherie DeVaux unleashed a classy gentleman on Churchill Downs Friday afternoon, and Englishman (Maxfield) strolled in to clock a blistering time as well as securing 'Rising Star' honors. Away from the blocks quickly, and out to control the tempo, he was tracked closely for most of the race by Tagermeen (Into Mischief), who has now run in three straight races against eventual 'TDN Rising Stars'--namely Curtain Call (Tiz the Law) and Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) in his prior two jumps. The latter won the GI Spendthrift Farm Hopeful Stakes while...

Maybe Ned Toffey should have presented the trophy to himself. Or perhaps the horse should have presented it to him. Because the Thoroughbred is generally here to confuse us, and yet here was one that seemed to be obeying a transparent and coherent destiny: Ted Noffey, dominating a GI Hopeful Stakes sponsored by Spendthrift for the first time, welcomed into the winner's circle by Ted Bates Farm Manager of the Year Ned Toffey. For good measure, the equivalent prize for fillies had the previous day been won by Tommy Jo,...

British based trainer James Owen had never been to Kentucky Downs prior to his visit last week for the GIII $3.5 million Nashville Derby. Actually, he had never been to the U.S., period. Now he can't wait to come back. The versatile trainer who has trained flat horses, jumpers and even Arabians, won the Nashville Derby at Kentucky Downs with Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB) (Kameko), who out-gamed GI Blue Grass winner Burnham Square (Liam's Map) in a thrilling finish. To talk about his impressions of Kentucky Downs, the biggest victory of...

On paper, it appeared to be the battle of the 'TDN Rising Star's in Saratoga's closing day feature, the GI Hopeful Stakes. Come race day, it appeared to be more of a procession as Spendthrift Farm's Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) made it look like his rivals were tied to a post as he rolled home a commanding 8 1/2-length winner in only his second lifetime start for trainer Todd Pletcher, who was winning his fourth Hopeful. Smooth as silk out of the gate, Ted Noffey, sent off the 7-2 third...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Early Sunday afternoon, Mike Repole wasn't sure if he had slept or not Saturday night. "I might have taken a nap from 2 (a.m.) to 4," Repole said in the Saratoga box seat area. "I am running high on adrenaline right now." Sixteen hours earlier, Repole, with 40 friends and family--including Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher--gathered at his Saratoga house and watched Fierceness (City of Light) overcome a world of trouble and still draw off to a 3 1/4-length win over GI Preakness Stakes winner...

The GI Spendthrift Farm Hopeful Stakes is carded as the anchor for Monday's Labor Day festivities, which marks the last set of races for the season upstate. A scan through the past winners of the top-level affair over the past 25 years include a strong list of future sires. How about for starters Sky Mesa (2002), First Samurai (2005), Shanghai Bobby (2012) and Competitive Edge (2014)? More recently Practical Joke (2016), Mind Control (2018), Basin (2019), Jackie's Warrior (2020), Gunite (2021) and Forte (2022) got their picture taken before heading...

Saturday's racing action at Saratoga and across the country saw not only an eye-catching number of new 'TDN Rising Stars' (the final tally stopping on five), but also current members of the club securing sensational victories against salty competition. With the runners emerging from their efforts with positive prognoses, their connections are now looking ahead. Of the established 'Rising Stars', GII Saratoga Special victor Ewing (Knicks Go) returned from that win in fine form and will now be tasked with stretching his abilities out. The Mark Casse trainee was one...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Many of the smiles and chuckles following Ted Noffey's victory in the first race at Saratoga Race Course Saturday had very little to do with his solid 1 1/2-length victory. They were about his name, which was the result of a very simple but humorous mistake, as his, err, namesake Ned Toffey explained. Toffey, for 21 years the general manager of Spendthrift Farm, which owns Ted Noffey, was chosen as Kentucky's Farm Manager of the Year in 2024, an honor that started the story. "One of...

TED NOFFEY (c, 2, Into Mischief--Streak of Luck, by Old Fashioned) may've started as a typo, but the performance was no joke as the grey gamely kicked home to 'TDN Rising Star' honors at Saratoga. The son of the perennial leading sire entered into this debut with a long worktab at the venue with the most recent move having come July 21 when he breezed four panels in :49.55 (25/44) in company with fellow Spendthrift co-owned Tapit's Legacy (Tapit)--who also won at first asking last week by five lengths. Sent...