Tommy Jo

Elite winners are always cause for celebration. With racing at the highest levels quickly ramping up for 2026, we continue to spotlight some of the special Grade I producers of the last several months. Up today, we get a glimpse into a quartet of mares who produced homebred stars. Stormy Welcome, dam of Raging Sea "Great families might sleep, but they don't die, and she's a great example of that," said Mill Ridge's Price Bell last summer when musing over the unraced Stormy Welcome (Storm Cat), a now-20-year-old mare whose ninth...

DEL RAY BEACH, FL--Newly-minted Eclipse Juvenile champion Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) drew a small crowd when registering a workmanlike four-furlong move at Palm Beach Downs Friday morning. Campaigned by Spendthrift Farm, the undefeated colt worked in tandem with the farm's Authentic Chance (Authentic). The pair completed the task in :50.81, with the roan finishing slightly ahead of his workmate. The work was the first half-mile move for the 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' since his victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile victory at Del Mar in November. He...

While prefacing his remarks by saying that "nothing is set in stone," Spendthrift Farm General Manager Ned Toffey told the TDN that the main pre-GI Kentucky Derby goal for presumptive 2-year-old champion Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) will likely be the GI Curlin Florida Derby to be run at Gulfstream Park Mar. 28. Spendthrift's other top prospect, Further Ado (Gun Runner), is likely headed to the GI Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Apr. 4. Ted Noffey is trained by Todd Pletcher, who is based in the winter at Palm Beach Downs...

The World Championships concluded Saturday with sterling efforts and drama abound, and the connections of the newly crowned took Sunday morning to provide updates on their charges as they look ahead. Trainer Michael McCarthy reported that all six of his Breeders' Cup horses came out of their races in good order, and plans for MGISW Journalism (Curlin)--whether to continue racing or retirement--will be finalized in the coming week. The colt finished fourth in the Classic under new rider Jose Ortiz. "This is more or less what we've seen from him...

DEL MAR, Calif. - Super Corredora (Gun Runner) cleared her eight rivals beneath an aggressive Hector Berrios heading into the clubhouse turn, and never looked back in Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar. Favored 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Explora (Blame) was second. Fellow 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Percy's Bar (Upstart) was third. Super Corredora becomes the fourth Breeders' Cup winner for trainer John Sadler and first for Berrios. "She's a filly we had really high hopes for," Sadler said. "We're in our own...

October has been a month to remember for the team from Spendthrift Farm. Since Oct. 3, Spendthrift has won six stakes, including four graded stakes and two Grade I's. Meanwhile, they've also had three maiden winners, including Further Ado (Gun Runner), who broke his maiden by 20 lengths. November could be even better as Spendthrift is planning on sending five horses to the Breeders' Cup. To talk about Spendthrift's recent run of success and its hopes for the Breeders' Cup, Spendthrift General Manager Ned Toffey joined the crew for this...

The final round of preps for the Breeders' Cup took place this weekend and there was no shortage of stories or races. There were 26 graded stakes run from Friday through Sunday and nine of them were Grade I's. As always, this weekend helped to clear up the Breeders' Cup picture. Here's a look at what happened: GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile: You had three races, the GI Champagne, the GI Breeders' Futurity and the GI American Pharoah and each race featured a potential superstar in Ted Noffey (Into Mischief), Desert...

Each of the three graded stakes contested on FallStars Friday at Keeneland earned the winners a fees-paid berth into their respective races at the Breeders' Cup meeeting Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, and the horses' connections indicated that it's all systems go for Del Mar in four weeks' time. 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Tommy Jo (Into Mischief) crossed the line second in the GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes, but was elevated to the victory by the stewards, who ruled that she was interfered with by Percy's Bar (Upstart) seriously...

Friday is the start of the unofficial Kentucky state holiday known as Opening Weekend at Keeneland, and GI Spinaway victress Tommy Jo (Into Mischief) headlines a strong card for fantastic racing not just at the venue but across the country. Largely considered the last hurrah for anyone trying to get into the World Championships by way of the 'WAYI' challenge series, several tracks across the country have such opportunities in October, and Keeneland will be hosting three such chances on Friday. The last of the graded races for the opening...

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,...

Spendthrift homebred Tommy Jo (Into Mischief), who announced herself as a 'TDN Rising Star' in a 3 3/4-length maiden win going six furlongs at the Spa July 26, backed up that effort and then some in Saturday's GI Spinaway Stakes, booking herself a ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The daughter of Bob Baffert-trainer MGISP Mother Mother (Pioneerof the Nile) picked up Kendrick Carmouche Saturday at even-money and never looked as though she was anything but the winner. Wearing the Spendthrift orange and purple, the favorite broke in...

When 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) went wire-to-wire to take out the 2023 GI Pacific Classic, it made trainer Bob Baffert the winningest trainer in the relatively short history of the event with seven winners, surpassing the late Bobby Frankel. The Hall of Fame conditioner will have every chance to extend that record when he sends out fellow 'Rising Star' Nysos (Nyquist) in a compelling renewal of the 10-furlong feature Saturday afternoon, with an all-expenses-paid trip to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic over the same course and distance...