Napoleon Solo Marches to Victory in Preakness 151

LAUREL, MD–Napoleon Bonaparte was reputed as saying “Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools.” Never was a phrase more appropriate aprospos than the lead up to Saturday's GI Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park.

Given the absence of both the Kentucky Derby winner and runner-up, it seemed like everyone and his brother emerged on the scene to take a shot at the second leg in the Triple Crown.

While several contenders may have seemed like they may have been stretching to get the distance or simply handle the level of competition, Gold Square's Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map) appeared to have a very important advantage under his belt, a Grade I victory. Additionally, the sole Grade I winner in the field had another key ingredient that proved invaluable in even getting him into Saturday's starting gate–connections willing to take a shot at a top-level race while having questions of their own.

“[Jockey] Paco [Lopez] followed the plan to f***n brilliance,” said trainer Chad Summer, who was overcome with adrenaline and palpable emotion just moments after the race. “[Napoleon Solo] had everything go wrong his 3-year-old year and we just kind of stayed the course. He had a lot of critics out there telling us to just shut up. But we just kept with it and it worked out today.”
Did Napoleon Solo have the seasoning after only two starts this season? Could he handle the 9 1/2-furlong distance of the Preakness despite never having won a race beyond a mile?

At approximately 7:15p.m. on Saturday, the colt answered both those questions succinctly, coming from just off the pace to hand Iron Honor (Nyquist) a 1 1/4-length defeat.

Given a 7-1 chance in this return to Grade I company, Napoleon Solo was well composed in Laurel's enclosed paddock, an environment that might have been dynamite sticks under a less settled animal. Cleanly away from Post 10, he was allowed to settle behind 9-2 choice Taj Mahal (Nyquist), who clicked off solid opening splits of :22.66 and :46.66. Not letting the favorite out of his sights through three-quarters in 1:12.08, Napoleon Solo started to ratchet up the pressure on the far turn. Overtaking the pacesetter who began a prompt retreat near the five-sixteenths pole, the fourth betting choice turned for home in the clear, and while 8-1 shot Iron Honor did his best to reel in the late leader down the stretch, the Chad Brown-trainee ran out of real-estate and had to settle for second. Chip Honcho (Connect), who sat a stalking most of the way, stayed on to finish third, 3 1/4 lengths farther back. Ocelli (Connect) closed from the clouds to get fourth while Incredibolt (Bolt d'Oro) was fifth. The favorite faded to 10th.

“We had a perfect run,” said Lopez, who was winning his first Classic. “Chad had him ready. In the post parade, he started playing with the pony, so we broke away but came back and he was very comfortable.”

He continued, “I was able to keep the horse in the right position and got away from the gate well, which helped. He broke perfect and followed them around, there was a lot of speed in the race, and he was patient until it was time to move.”

According to owner Al Gold, Lopez was instrumental in convincing the team that they should take a chance and forge on to the Preakness despite any concerns of distance limitations. Not to mention a little bit of a nudge by Gold for Summers to also get on board with the idea.

“I was convinced after the first call,” Summers said with a smile. “But I thought about it a lot.”

How did he see the race unfolding if they were to give the colt a chance to extend his natural speed?

“That was the plan [to sit near the pace]. We felt he had a high cruising speed,” he said. “Obviously, the question was, is he going to stay the distance? But there was no doubt about how fast he was. We said just play the break. We had a feeling that Sheldon [Russell on Taj Mahal] was going to protect the rail, the way he had been breezing, the way he had been training. So we said, 'Let's get a target, make the first move, don't let them come get us, and then put the pressure on them at the end of the race.' Paco executed the plan to perfection. We wanted to make sure we outbroke [Pretty Boy Miah in the 14-hole]. We thought Pretty Boy Miah had a lot of early speed to him. So we wanted to make sure we outbroke him.”

He continued, “After that, it was just see who else wanted to go, who else wanted to dance the dance from the inside. We had a feeling it might be Sheldon Russell. We felt like he might have to force the hand and use him as our target. And I told Paco just to make that first move. It seems a little daring, but we wanted to put the pressure on early to make them come catch us. That's what we did.”

Making his debut against sales-restricted company in a six-furlong Saratoga maiden, the grey was let go at 6-1 in what looked like a massive step up in for the one-mile GI Champagne Stakes at the Big A last fall, but the affair turned out to be a mere exhibition as he strolled home a 6 1/2-length winner over Talkin (Good Magic).

Shelved for the remainder of his juvenile season, Napoleon Solo took money at 3-1 in his attempt to extend his winning streak in the Feb. 28 GII Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream, but he faded late to be fifth, beaten 11 3/4 lengths by winner Commandment. Once again given some love at the windows when sent off at 7-2 for the Apr. 4 GII Wood Memorial, he showed speed and tired late to be fifth again, this time beaten only 2 3/4 lengths by Albus. Also finishing ahead of him that day were Right to Party and Ocelli, who would later finish third in the Run for the Roses.

Despite those defeats, however, the colt's connections still had faith.

“I felt like maybe I did a disservice to him all year long,” said Summers of the colt's initial two starts. “You know, fifth and fifth place. Everyone said he wasn't as good as he was in the Champagne. This was a win here. People will say it wasn't against the best of the best. We'll find out the rest of the year.”
According to Summers, 'the rest of the year' will start with a shot at the GI Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park on July 18.

“Mr. Gold is from New Jersey and it's an important race for him,” said Summers. “We're going to the Haskell, but how we get to the Haskell, we'll find out.”

Down But Not Out..
GIII Gotham winner Iron Honor, who had been tabbed as the morning line favorite earlier in the week, eventually went off at 8-1 on race day, suggesting the initial assessment was spot on.

“I am proud of the horse. He really ran a big race,” said trainer Chad Brown of the runner up. “He had a challenging trip from [Post 9] as it turns out. He was a bit wide on both turns and it probably took the starch out of him a little bit when it mattered late. The winner ran terrific, so hats off to him. He really ran a great race. He dug back in and finished it off. We couldn't quite get there today.”

Of the third-place finisher, trainer Steve Asmussen said, “Jose [Ortiz] gave him a really good trip. He handled really nicely. He gave a lot of effort. There was a lot of pace in there, but he ran a great race.”

Ortiz added, “We had a great trip. I'm very proud of him. No excuses. He gave it all he's got.”

Ocelli, still a maiden despite having placed in two graded tests this season, also seemed to have run his race according to his connections.

“I thought it was a great effort from him,” said rider Tyler Gaffalione. “The speed didn't really come back today but he was the only one making a run. I'm proud of his effort.”

Of the Federico Tesio Stakes winner and beaten favorite, trainer Brittany Russell said, “He got away good, and they were moving along fine, but the winner also sat right on his flank. He did what we thought he would do; he just didn't kick on. You knew he was going to have to run a little faster than he has been, right?”

The 151st Preakness Stakes belongs to Napoleon Solo! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Vdsph4eDkV

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) May 16, 2026

Pedigree Note:

With his Preakness score, Napoleon Solo collects yet another Grade I not just to his tally, but to that of Liam's Map as well. The sire of elite-level winners on both turf and dirt, names on his honor roll include the who's who like two-time GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational hero Colonel Liam; multiple Grade I winner Deterministic; dual-surface graded winner Burnham Square (including the GI Toyota Blue Grass); GI Frizette victress Wicked Whisper; and GI Darley Alcibiades winner Juju's Map, to name a few. His offspring are frequently found at the graded level in a variety of distances as Liam's Map also claims turf sprint star MGSW Roses for Debra and main track router MGSW & GISP Crazy Beautiful. In total, the stallion has 15 graded and 33 black-type winners, including recent GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks hero Fulleffort.

On his dam's side, Napoleon Solo claims an equally fascinating pedigree as he hails from the female line of French winner Chanteleau (A.P. Indy). Through herself or her daughters and granddaughters, the third dam claims three French group winners and a Hungarian Horse of the Year. His dam, Atomic Blonde (Scat Daddy), was the first stakes winner in the female family to earn her black type in North America as the South Beach Stakes victress–also on the grass.

From two of racing age, Atomic Blonde counts placed Lawless Ways (Without Parole {GB}) and Napoleon Solo, who has undoubtedly cast a long shadow for future siblings. Her most recent is a yearling colt by Authentic, and she was bred to Stage Raider for 2026. –Patrycja Szpyra

Saturday, Laurel
PREAKNESS S.-GI, $2,000,000, Laurel, 5-16, 3yo, 1 3/16m, 1:58.69, ft.
1–NAPOLEON SOLO, 126, c, 3, by Liam's Map
            1st Dam: Atomic Blonde (SW, $188,710),
                        by Scat Daddy
            2nd Dam: Volver (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
            3rd Dam: Chanteleau, by A.P. Indy
($40,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Gold Square LLC; B-John D. Gunther
& Eurowest Bloodstock (KY); T-Chad Summers; J-Paco Lopez.
$1,200,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-0-0, $1,560,520. Werk Nick
Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Iron Honor, 126, c, 3, Nyquist–Orencia, by Blame. 1ST G1
BLACK TYPE. ($230,000 Ylg '24 KEEJAN; $475,000 Ylg '24
KEESEP). O-St. Elias Stable, William H. Lawrence and Cathi
Glassman; B-Mike & Pat Freeny (KY); T-Chad C. Brown.
$400,000.
3–Chip Honcho, 126, c, 3, Connect–Miss My Rose, by Magician
(Ire). 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($210,000 Ylg '24 FTKJUL). O-Leland
Ackerley Racing, LLC, James Sherwood, Jode Shupe and John
Cilia; B-Venneri Racing Inc. & Tony Fanticola (KY); T-Steven M.
Asmussen. $220,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 3 1/4, 2 3/4. Odds: 7.90, 8.20, 11.10.
Also Ran: Ocelli, Incredibolt, Bull by the Horns, The Hell We Did, Great White, Robusta, Taj Mahal, Corona de Oro, Talkin, Crupper, Pretty Boy Miah. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.