fter bypassing the Kentucky Derby (G1), Gold Square LLC’s Kentucky-bred Napoleon Solo proved clearly best in the 151st Preakness Stakes (G1) at Laurel Park on Saturday, May 16.

Napoleon Solo, who had faded to fifth in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park and Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct at 1 1/8 miles, was given another chance to prove himself at a distance of ground by trainer Chad Summers. The son of Liam’s Map came through with flying colors with a 1 ¼-length victory in the Preakness. The gray colt delivered Summers and jockey Paco Lopez their first victories in a Triple Crown event while scoring as the fourth betting choice at 7-1.

An easy winner of his two starts last year, including a 6 ½-length victory in the one-turn mile Champagne (G1) at Aqueduct, Napoleon Solo prevailed in a full field of 14 3-year-olds, the largest to enter the Preakness starting gate since Shackleford also defeated 13 rivals in 2011.

Napoleon Solo ran 1 3/16 miles in 1:58.69. Runner-up Iron Honor and jockey Flavien Prat finished 3 ¼ lengths clear of third-place finisher Chip Honcho, who raced evenly throughout. Ocelli, a seven-race maiden who finished third in the Kentucky Derby at 70-1, closed from 11th to finish fourth. No maiden has won the Preakness since 1888.

Napoleon Solo Steps Up in Preakness

“I felt like I maybe did a disservice to him all year long. You know, fifth place, fifth place. Everyone said he wasn’t as good as he was in the Champagne,” said Summers. “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.

“That was the plan [to sit near the pace]. We felt he had a high cruising speed,” Summers continued. “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 the 14 [Pretty Boy Miah].  We wanted to make sure we outbroke him. 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 catch us. That’s what we did.”

Napoleon Solo is by Liam’s Map out of the Scat Daddy mare Atomic Blonde. The gray or roan colt was bred in Kentucky by John Gunther and Eurowest Bloodstock. Napoleon Solo was a $40,00 graduate of the 2024 Keeneland September Sale. He is now an earner of $1,560,520 and owns a record of 5-3-0-0.