Last Oct. 10 on a sunny Friday afternoon, Spendthrift Farm’s Further Ado blazed onto the Kentucky Derby (G1) scene with a jaw-dropping 20-length maiden score going 1 1/16 miles.

Ned Toffey, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of Spendthrift, was watching as Further Ado turned a 10-length advantage into 20 lengths even though the race ended at the sixteenth pole.

As he watched the Further Ado show, could Toffey envision a similar scenario on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs?

“No, no, no,” Toffey said with a laugh after watching Further Ado under Jonathan Santiago gallop here Friday morning. “His first two races (in sprints at Saratoga) were not what we were expecting, but it was obvious he liked the two turns.”

Further Ado’s victory that day was part of a storybook week for Spendthrift, which won six consecutive races including the Darley Alcibiades (G1) with Tommy Jo and the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) with future champion Ted Noffey.

Further Ado followed his Keeneland victory with a win in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill to close 2025.

“He was doing very well after the Kentucky Jockey Club and (trainer) Brad (Cox) and I decided to take the Tampa route and then the Blue Grass, which is a very legitimate target,” Toffey said.

The ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby (G3) on March 7 produced a narrow runner-up finish. From there, Further Ado returned to his winter base at Payson Park Training Center in Florida.

“He has moved forward since the Tampa Bay Derby and he has looked good galloping the past three mornings,” Toffey said of Further Ado, who arrived at Keeneland on Tuesday. “We are cautiously optimistic (for the Toyota Blue Grass). He obviously loves the track and he doesn’t get tired.”