Todd Pletcher, Walter Wlodarczyk
Gulfstream Park Press
Undefeated 2YO to Embark on Road to Curlin Florida Derby
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – The most highly anticipated event of 2025-2026 Championship Meet – outside of the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) and the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) – surely will be the 2026 debut of undefeated Ted Noffey at Gulfstream Park.
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, an 18-time Championship Meet titlist at Gulfstream Park, has reason to be optimistic about his chances of adding a record ninth Florida Derby winner during the 2025-2026 Championship Meet that will get underway underway Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27.
“He’s had pretty much a 2-year-old season as good as you could put together. Going from his debut to three Grade 1 wins, culminating with the Breeders’ Cup. He handled everything we asked him to – step up in class, stretch out in distance and ship across the country,” Pletcher said. “You can’t say enough good things about him.”
Ted Noffey, who finished off his 2025 campaign with a victory in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) Oct. 31 at Del Mar, is expected to make his 2026 debut in either the $250,000 Holy Bull (G3) Jan. 31 or the $400,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 28 before returning in the 75th running of the 1 1/8-mile Curlin Florida Derby March 28.
“We haven’t really firmed everything up. We’re going to take the month of November very easy with him. We can go in a couple of different directions with him. We can maybe go Holy Bull for his comeback possibly setting him up for the Florida Derby. If we felt like we wanted to give him a little extra time, we could maybe wait for the Fountain of Youth,” Pletcher said. “Either way, we’re taking this month very easy freshening him and then let him guide us, as we get back into serious training, when we want to make the comeback.”
Spendthrift Farm LLC’s son of Into Mischief graduated on debut Aug. 2 at Saratoga before running away with the seven-furlong Hopeful by 8 ½ lengths Sept. 1 at the Upstate New York track. Ted Noffey shipped to Keeneland to win the 1 1/16-mile Breeders’ Futurity (G1) by 2 ¾ lengths while successfully stretching out around two turns. He closed out his 2025 campaign with a length victory in the 1 1/16-mile Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
Pletcher has visited the Florida Derby winner’s circle with Fierceness (2024), Forte (2023), Known Agenda (2021), Audible (2018), Always Dreaming (2017), Materiality (2015), Constitution (2014) and Scat Daddy (2007). Always Dreaming went on to win the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Pletcher also trains an exciting turf prospect in Final Score, a son of Not This Time who finished his juvenile campaign with back-to-back victories in the With Anticipation (G3) at Saratoga and the Bourbon (G2) at Keeneland.
“We don’t have any plans yet. He’s getting a freshening in Ocala,” Pletcher said. “It’ll probably be towards the end of the meeting before we see him.”
The Pletcher stable has lost three Grade 1 performers in the older horse division with Fierceness, Mindframe and Locked being retired to stud. Antiquarian, who won last year’s Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga, is due to return for a 2026 campaign.
“He’s going to get a little freshening at Centennial Farm in Virginia,” Pletcher said. “We’ll bring him back around Christmas time. We have no firm race plans yet.”
