Hopeful Stakes Preview: Recent Grade I Pipeline To Stallion Duty

[Wandering Eyes]

The GI Spendthrift Farm Hopeful Stakes is carded as the anchor for Monday's Labor Day festivities, which marks the last set of races for the season upstate.

A scan through the past winners of the top-level affair over the past 25 years include a strong list of future sires.

How about for starters Sky Mesa (2002), First Samurai (2005), Shanghai Bobby (2012) and Competitive Edge (2014)? More recently Practical Joke (2016), Mind Control (2018), Basin (2019), Jackie's Warrior (2020), Gunite (2021) and Forte (2022) got their picture taken before heading to stallion duty later. They were hopefuls no more.

This year's edition boasts a quality field of eight and includes a trio of 'TDN Rising Stars' in Ted Noffey (Into Mischief), Curtain Call (Tiz the Law) and Buetane (Tiz the Law).

Ted Noffey cleared on debut for Spendthrift and trainer Todd Pletcher at the Spa Aug. 2, while Curtain Call earned his badge at second asking over a sloppy Saratoga main track July 12 for West Point and trainer Mark Casse.

The California invader who clocks in is Buetane. His 3 1/2 length score at his unveiling at Del Mar was strong for Bob Baffert. A $1.5-million buy for Zedan Racing at this year's OBS April Sale, the colt was made the 2-1 morning-line favorite by David Aragona.

Buetane debuts a winner at Del Mar | Benoit

Trainer Steve Asmussen won three Hopeful Stakes starting with Basin, and is well-represented with Soldier N Diplomat (Army Mule) and Bashford Manor Stakes hero Romeo (Honor A.P.). The latter was purchased for $1.7-million by Mahmud Mouni at the Fasig-Tipton Horses of Racing Age Sale this summer and sent to Asmussen.

Pletcher also has Emphasis (Yaupon) going out for co-owners Spendthrift and Mike Repole. The $625,000 Keeneland September grad debuted a winner over the local course July 19.

Rounding out the field is Butch Reid trainee Flyin Hawaiian (Maximus Mischief), who was highlighted last week in Tim Wilkin's Spa Notebook, presented by NYRA Bets.

Last but not least, trainer Joseph Orseno sends out Aye Eye (Essential Quality), after his colt won an auction-restricted maiden race at the Spa Aug. 8.

“Seven furlongs was the natural progression for this horse,” said Orseno. “I was looking for this distance, and it happens to be a Grade I. I know his numbers don't say he belongs, but you can't take away the way he did it. That's what I'm looking at more than his numbers.”

“When I look at Essential Quality, this horse has the same kind of body type, that's about the only comparison I can make,” he said. “Physically, he's not this big, strapping 16 and change hands horse that would 'wow' you, but he's athletic looking and put together.”

Monday's Hopeful is the ninth race at 4:42 p.m. ET.

Timing ISN'T everything Midlantic May 2YO Sale grad AYE EYE blew past the competition to break his maiden at first asking at Saratoga on 8/8! He sold off an untimed workout at this year's sale. Congrats to all the connections! #FasigGradpic.twitter.com/S06ScI3cca

— Fasig-Tipton (@FasigTiptonCo) August 10, 2025

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