Napoleon Solo

Purse levels will be raised by nearly 14 percent blended across all categories during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and throughout the summer meet at Saratoga Racecourse, it was announced by The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) on Thursday. Purses for open maiden special weights will increase by 15%, from $100,000 to $115,000. In addition, first-level allowance events will be offered for $120,000 and second-level allowance races will be offered for $125,000. NYRA will increase purses for the maiden allowance auction category to $90,000, a 12.5% increase. Initially launched...

Sam F. Davis Stakes winner Renegade (Into Mischief) was installed as the 3-2 morning-line favorite for the $1.5 million GI Arkansas Derby March 28 at Oaklawn Park. Post positions for the 1 1/8-mile race were drawn Saturday afternoon, with Renegade leading nine horses entered in the track's fourth and final Kentucky Derby qualifying race. 5-2 shot Silent Tactic (Tacitus) will be the only horse to compete in all four qualifying races at Oaklawn after finishing second in the Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 3, winning the $1-million GIII Southwest Stakes Feb....

Gold Square LLC's Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map), who suffered his first career defeat when beaten nearly 12 lengths into fifth behind Commandment (Into Mischief) in the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes on Feb. 28, worked five-eighths of a mile in :59.65 (1/2) at Palm Meadows Thursday. "He worked well," said Gold Square's Al Gold between races at Gulfstream Park. "We're looking forward to his next race. We don't know yet where it's going to be." Last year's GI Champagne Stakes winner was off awkwardly in the Fountain of Youth,...

When a field of 10 enters the starting gate for Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park, they'll sure have some big shoes to fill. Twelve months ago, Sovereignty (Into Mischief) embarked on what would become a Horse of the Year campaign with a narrow victory in his seasonal debut and a little more than two months later, joined Spectacular Bid (1979), Thunder Gulch (1995) and Orb (2013) as horses to add the GI Kentucky Derby in the last half-century. Horses such as Union Rags (2012) and...

Grade I winner Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map) continued preparations for his next Kentucky Derby qualifier with a strong work at Palm Meadows last Friday, but the question remains as to which race the grey will be pointed for at the end of the month. Cruising through five panels in 1:01.45, marking it the fastest work of five at the distance, the colt worked in company with Saffie Joseph Jr. trained Ruleroftheuniverse (Sharp Azteca). The latter posted 1:02.15 for the trip. "I couldn't be happier with how he's coming along," trainer...

Unbeaten Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map), unraced since a powerhouse, front-running victory in the GI Champagne S. at the Big A Oct. 4, is gearing up for his sophomore debut. The Gold Square colorbearer has posted four workouts for Chad Summers at Palm Meadows this winter, including a four-furlong bullet in :48 (1/19) Thursday. "He's doing well," owner Al Gold said. "The plan is either the (GII Coolmore) Fountain of Youth (at Gulfstream) or the (GIII) Gotham (at Aqueduct) on Feb. 28 or the (GIII) Tampa Bay Derby Mar. 7." The...

A total of 367 of the world's top 3-year-old Thoroughbreds became eligible to compete in the 2026 Triple Crown series during the early nomination phase, which closed Monday, Jan. 26, Churchill Downs said in a press release on Tuesday. This year's early nominees span the globe and include several horses that have already made an impact on the 'Road to the Kentucky Derby', led by graded stakes winners 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Further Ado (Gun Runner), 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Golden Tempo (Curlin), 'TDN Rising Star,...

With the Kentucky Derby still 22 weeks away, the pari-mutuel field of "All Other Foals from the 2023 Foal Crop" closed as the 2-1 favorite in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) and Spendthrift Farm's unbeaten GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) from the barn of two-time Derby winner Todd Pletcher was the 7-1 second choice. Saturday's GII Kentucky Jockey Club winner Further Ado (Gun Runner) also attracted some interest from bettors at 13-1.   TOP 10 BETTING CHOICE (with trainer, sire, Pool 2...

The first of six opportunities to bet on Kentucky Derby 152 opens Wednesday, Oct. 29 through Friday, Oct. 31 with Pool 1 of the Future Wager and MGISW Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) headlines the 40 betting choices with 'All Other Colts and Geldings Foaled in 2023' the ever-popular favorite, Churchill Downs announced Monday. Wagering will open Wednesday at noon EDT and will close prior to Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at approximately 6:00pm EDT. Ted Noffey is one of eight likely entrants for the contest and equally likely the horse...

7th-Churchill Downs, $122,888, Msw, 10-26, 2yo, 6f, 1:10.22, ft, 5 1/2 lengths. STRADALE (c, 2, Yaupon--Twitterpated, by Stormy Atlantic) hit the board twice during his time at Saratoga, running third and second July 19 and Aug. 30, respectively, against maiden company. He bobbled and was knocked around at the start of the GI Champagne Stakes Oct. 4 and ran a flat fifth by 12 lengths as Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map) won by 6 1/2 lengths. Sent off here as the 9-5 favorite, Stradale bumped with an outside rival after tossing...

Despite a dominant 6 1/2-length history in the GI Champagne S. at Aqueduct Oct. 4, Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map) will skip the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Napoleon Solo is owned by Al Gold's Gold Square LLC and is trained by Chad Summers. The story was first reported by the Daily Racing Form's David Grening. "Unfortunately , the Breeders Cup is in California every year," Summers said. "Hopefully, that will change. It's a lot to ask of these 2-year-olds. We weren't really sure what we wanted to do after the race...

Sponsored by Pedigrees360. According to Oscar Wilde, the one thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about at all. Nothing to worry the Spendthrift team there! This is one of the two farms that have done the most to drive up stallion books, duly able to pitch fees accessibly to smaller breeders but embracing major responsibility in their footprint on the gene pool. But if some people remain uncomfortable with the business model, everyone can acknowledge the caliber of the horsemen making it function. And certainly those...