Ted Noffey, the champion 2-year-old male of 2025, is off the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve trail.

Owner Spendthrift Farm announced Jan. 29 that the gray or roan colt is temporarily sidelined after being diagnosed with bone bruising. Citing Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, Spendthrift said the son of Into Mischief showed signs of discomfort following a recent breeze, which prompted further evaluation.

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That breeze was a half-mile workout in :50.81 at Palm Beach Downs in South Florida Jan. 23, a day after being formally honored with an Eclipse Award. It was his second timed workout of the new year after an initial three-furlong move Jan. 16 in :37.01.

“Since his last breeze he hasn’t been moving as well as he normally does,” Pletcher said in a 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.”

The Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs is May 2, leaving him without sufficient preparation. A return to training in May, provided all goes well, probably means a return to racing in the summer after the Triple Crown. The second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes is two weeks after the Derby, and the third and final leg of the series, the Belmont Stakes, is another three weeks after the Preakness.

Ted Noffey went 4-for-4 as a juvenile last year, winning his debut at Saratoga Race Course before stringing together three consecutive top-level stakes victories in the Spendthrift Farm Hopeful Stakes, Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity, and FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.

Champion Ted Noffey (Eclipse Sportswire)

The colt is named after a transposed social media post meant to describe Spendthrift Farm general manager Ned Toffey.

“Obviously we’re disappointed,” Toffey said. “But after discussions with Todd, the veterinary team, and [Spendthrift] 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.”

Spendthrift Farm will continue to provide updates on Ted Noffey’s progress, the farm added in its release.

Many pundits and the wagering public felt Ted Noffey possessed the characteristics to potentially become just the third Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to win the Kentucky Derby six months later. Only Street Sense (2006-’07) and Nyquist (2015-’16) had managed to pull off the elusive double.

Ted Noffey, who had led BloodHorse’s Derby Dozen over the feature’s initial two weeks, was the 6-1 favorite among individual betting choices in the most recent Kentucky Derby Future Wager that ended Jan. 18. “All Other 3-Year-Olds,” often referred to as “the field” and representing horses not among the 39 individual choices separately listed by Churchill Downs, led the wagering at 7-2 odds.

Ted Noffey’s setback leaves a wide-open Kentucky Derby picture three months out.

Even with Ted Noffey out, Spendthrift Farm still has a leading contender for the 1 1/4-mile Derby in the Brad Cox-trained Further Ado, winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes last fall at Churchill Downs.