Make No Mistake About It, Ted Noffey Seeks Hopeful Win

The 2-year-old colt Ted Noffey  has a name based on a typo, a gaffe that also gave the sport American Pharoah   instead of the correct American Pharaoh.

While setting the bar for a Triple Crown sweep may be ludicrous for this misspelling, much will be learned about Spendthrift Farm's son of Into Mischief   on Labor Day.

Will he become as well-known as his namesake, Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey? Or as common as a typo? 

The answer will come Sept. 1 in the $300,000 Hopeful Stakes (G1) on closing day at Saratoga Race Course, when Spendthrift's promising juvenile will take the jump from a debut win to top-level stakes.

"What we've seen from him is that he wants more distance," said trainer Todd Pletcher. "He looked very good in his debut and hopefully he can take a step forward after that."

Of course, like a lot of people who know Toffey well, Pletcher is struggling to avoid slips of the tongue about Ned and Ted.

"I was on the phone today with Ned and I called him Ted, and then I called the horse Ned," Pletcher said. "It is confusing."

Ted Noffey, a $650,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale buy bred by Aaron and Marie Jones, started his career Aug. 2 with a 1 1/2-length debut win at the Spa.

Pletcher also entered Spendthrift and Repole Stable's Emphasis , another first-out winner. The son of Yaupon   prevailed in a July 19 maiden race by a length.

"Emphasis has trained really well and that was a good debut in what was considered a hot maiden race," Pletcher said. "He and 'Ted' are in the same situation. They are coming off very good debut wins and you pretty much have to go into a stakes after that."

A main threat for Ted Noffey in the field of eight 2-year-olds traveling seven furlongs is Zedan Racing Stables' California shipper Beutane. Trained by Bob Baffert, the son of Tiz the Law   was an impressive 3 1/2-length winner of an Aug. 3 maiden race at Del Mar. 

Bred by Merriebelle Stable, he was bought for $1,150,000 at this year's Ocala Breeders' Sale Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.

Tagermeen Racing's newly acquired Romeo  will make his first start for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Originally owned by Joseph Lloyd and trained by John Robb, the Maryland-bred son of Honor A.P. won the June 29 Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs impressively in his previous start, setting a stakes record with six furlongs in 1:08.61. After that, he was sold for $1.7 million at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale of Horses of Racing Age.

Asmussen also entered St. Elias Stable's Soldier N Diplomat , a $950,000 buy at the Ocala Breeders' Sale March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. A son of Army Mule  , he rolled to a neck victory in a July 26 maiden race at the Spa.

West Point Thoroughbreds' Curtain Call  exits an 8 1/2-length romp in a July 12 maiden race at Saratoga. Trained by Mark Casse, the Tiz the Law colt is partially owned by popular social media influencer Griffin Johnson.

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