Romeo, a dark bay colt by Honor A. P., aims to secure his second consecutive stakes victory in the Grade 1, $300,000 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga. Recently sold for $1.7 million and now trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Romeo impressed with a stakes-record six-furlong win in the Bashford Manor at Churchill Downs. He faces strong competition including Buetane, a Tiz the Law colt trained by Bob Baffert and favored at 2-1, as well as other promising juveniles like Curtain Call, Emphasis, and Ted Noffey, all coming off impressive maiden wins.

The Hopeful Stakes features a competitive field of juveniles with notable trainers such as Asmussen, Pletcher, Baffert, and Casse entering multiple contenders. Asmussen, a three-time Hopeful winner, also fields Soldier N Diplomat, while Pletcher hopes to continue Spendthrift Farm’s success with Ted Noffey and Emphasis. The race highlights emerging talent with pedigrees linked to past champions, making it a key early test for Saratoga’s promising 2-year-olds.