And now ... Without ... Further Ado

On October 10, 2025, Keeneland Race Track witnessed a breakout performance when Further Ado powered to a stunning 20-length victory in Race 8, a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight for 2-year-olds.

The chestnut colt, sired by the powerhouse Gun Runner, left no doubt about his potential, turning a straightforward maiden test into a showcase of raw talent.

Trained by Brad H. Cox and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., Further Ado broke from post 8 and tracked the early pace set by rivals Johnny Velazquez aboard Brave Force.

With fractions of :23.17 for the quarter and :47.12 at the half, the race unfolded steadily and fairly normal, that is - until the 3/4 pole.

There, Ortiz asked for a response, and Further Ado exploded forward, covering the final eighth in :12.45 and the last sixteenth in a sharp :6.39. He crossed the line in 1:43.52 on a fast track, with Vino Vici—a promising Vino Rosso colt—trailing by 3.4 seconds in second place.

Further Ado sold for $275,000 as a Keeneland September yearling and $550,000 at the OBS April sale after breezing a quarter in :21 1/5, he arrived with high expectations that Cox has swiftly validated.

From his Louisville base, Brad Cox has molded Further Ado into a tactical force—patient early, devastating late.

This win capped a quick progression for Further Ado, who had finished a distant fifth in his six-furlong debut and a third place at 7f, both at Saratoga. Finally this time with a bit of distance and the horse explodes.

Now with a record of 3-1-0-1 and $78,233 in earnings from the $110,000 purse, the colt earned an Equibase Speed figure of 114, a far cry from his first two at only 69 and 78 when he only had 6f and 7f tracks sitting in front of him.

Bred by John C. Oxley and racing for Spendthrift Farm LLC, Further Ado boasts a chart built for distance and class, but how does he stack up realistically?

With that 20 length victory at 8.5f and that top line to Candy Ride, one can't help but make comparisons with hopes of potential greatness up ahead.

In the world of Thoroughbred racing, the Candy Ride (ARG) bloodline has produced some of the sport's most electrifying talents, known for their explosive closing kicks and stamina that can turn races into massacres.

This very promising 2-year-old son of Gun Runner (by Candy Ride), lit up Keeneland with a 20-length demolition that I can't help but compare to the great Shared Belief.

Granted, Further Ado's first two racing attempts made zero promises of any type of dominating future in the way that Candy Ride's superstar son Shared Belief did. First time Shared Belief walked onto a track he basically told them all, "Get out of my way, I've arrived."

But there is something in that 3rd attempt that certainly does coincide. There is also a huge correlation in his chefs and prominent non-chefs balance that deserves some attention that could hold a key.

Further Ado DP = 0-3-7-0-0 (10) DI = 1.86   CD = 0.30 ANZ = 3.00

Shared Belief DP = 2-2-6-2-0 (12) DI = 1.40   CD = 0.33 ANZ = 3.00

I always believed that Shared Belief was a product of the balance in his dominating chefs line. Roman's listed chefs staying firmly in the stamina category, but then when you add the first four generations of prominent non-chefs, you jump all the way up to that 3.00 speed category.

That is rare and it's quite nice to see it again.

The mare line, however, is somewhat different, although the dominating stamina lean in the scale is the same.

Further Ado Mare Profile = 7-2-5-8-6   Speed = 9   Stamina = 14   Index = 0.84   Triads = 14-15-19

Shared Belief Mare Profile = 0-3-6-8-8   Speed = 3   Stamina = 16   Index = 0.30   Triads = 9-17-22

Revisiting those mare's numbers again in Shared Belief's corner reiterates what a freak of nature he truly was. Only 3 points in the speed side of that scale with barely a handful of additional speed aid from them. Never-the-less, Further Ado has those 10 furlongs in his back pocket, obviously craving a longer track to perform on.

But let's take his promising future one step further and into present day.

Just six days earlier, on October 4, Spendthrift Farm's Ted Noffey had already put DelMar and the BC Juvenile on notice by winning the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) by 2 3/4 lengths in his 8.5f debut.

Trained by Todd Pletcher and guided by John Velazquez, the Into Mischief colt followed up his Saratoga Hopeful score by edging Bob Baffert's Litmus Test in a tactical battle.

Ted Noffey's win was a study in precision against top competition, while Further Ado's maiden blowout delivered sheer dominance in a less pressured spot. In other words, Ted was all out, giving it his all and pushed from start to finish. Further Ado, ridden with ease without a whip in sight.

So what about the final stats and the tale of the tape?

On one hand, you have Further Ado, sitting in the chef's stamina category while the impressive Ted Noffey, sits perched all the way up there on his advantaged throne in the extreme speed category.

Further Ado DP = 0-3-7-0-0 (10)  DI = 1.86    CD = 0.30 ANZ = 3.00

Ted Noffey DP = 1-6-1-0-0 (8) DI = 15.00   CD = 1.00 ANZ = 19.00

And this is how you can tell that Further Ado has major potential based on how he was bred vs. how he runs:

KEENELAND - Oct 10, 2025 - Race 8 FURTHER ADO

MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT: 1-1/16th on dirt Final Time 1:43.52 Equibase Speed Figure: 114

KEENELAND - Oct 4, 2025 - Race 9 TED NOFFEY

BREEDERS FUTURITY: 1-1/16th on dirt Final Time 1:43.98 Equibase Speed Figure: 100

Those fractions, comparing apples for apples:

The same track. The same distance. The same bias. Running with the exact same stalk and lead style and both exiting the gate away from the rail - Between a G1 horse sporting 15x the inherited speed and giving it his all - against a 1.86 indexed maiden runner on cruise control is INSANE.

With the way they are both bred, Further Ado stands out like a sore thumb.

Look closely at each call and where they sat at that call. At 8.5f. Speed vs. Stamina. Magnificent!

To think that Ted Noffey will most likely go off as the odds on favorite in the Breeder's Cup Juvenile while this quiet maiden winner, Further Ado, realistically outran him at each and every call and to the finish within the same exact parameters and with a chart on the complete opposite end of the spectrum.

Further Ado is the one to watch. This is the type of horse that will get your heart racing!