Ted Noffey sidelined, off Kentucky Derby trail

Jan 29, 2026 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Ted Noffey shown winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (Horsephotos.com)

Unbeaten champion Ted Noffey, who had been the early favorite for the 2026 Kentucky Derby (G1), has been ruled out due to a setback, owner Spendthrift Farm announced Thursday.

The star of last fall's Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) recently returned to the worktab after his winter holiday and breezed twice at trainer Todd Pletcher's Palm Beach Downs base.

The Hall of Fame horseman noticed that Ted Noffey was not quite himself after his Jan. 23 work, a half-mile in :50.81. That led to further examination and a diagnosis of bone bruising.

“Since his last breeze, he hasn’t been moving as well as he normally does,” Pletcher said in the press release from Spendthrift. “Out of an abundance of caution, we had him thoroughly examined, and the diagnosis came back as bruised condyles. Typically, this issue requires about 90 days to resolve, so we’ll look to resume training around the first of May.”

Given that timetable, Ted Noffey will be out of action for the entire Triple Crown. He would not be able to get ready for the May 16 Preakness (G1) or the June 6 Belmont (G1), both coming too soon for him to regain peak fitness.

His connections want to give Ted Noffey all the time he needs. As a result, he probably wouldn't make his comeback until later in the summer.

Champion Juvenile Ted Noffey Sidelined with Bone Bruisinghttps://t.co/MMHytP8PAI

— Spendthrift Farm (@spendthriftfarm) January 29, 2026

Ted Noffey was just honored as the champion two-year-old male of 2025 at last week's Eclipse Awards. He's named after a famous typo on social media that mistakenly called Spendthrift Farm General Manager Ned Toffey 'Ted Noffey.'

“Obviously, we’re disappointed,” Toffey said of the news about his quasi-namesake. “But after discussions with Todd, the veterinary team, and owners Eric and Tammy Gustavson, we are all in agreement that giving the colt time off is the right decision.

'Our priority is his long-term health and career. With proper rest and turnout, we’re hopeful he’ll be back and ready to compete later this summer and fall.”

By Spendthrift's perennial leading sire, Into Mischief, Ted Noffey has compiled a 4-for-4 record with $1,657,963 in earnings. The gray won his first two starts at Saratoga, including a runaway victory in the Hopeful (G1), before capturing the Breeders' Futurity (G1) and Breeders' Cup Juvenile on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Ted Noffey amassed 40 Derby points, topping the leaderboard at present, and he ranked as the individual favorite in the first three pools of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.