Napoleon Solo wins Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park
Napoleon Solo hustled to first place at the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, coming out on top against 13 other horses in what is the race's biggest field in 15 years. The colt entered the race with 8-1 morning odds and was tailing the favorite, Taj Mahal, at the beginning of the race before eventually pulling ahead. It was jockey Paco Lopez's second Preakness but his first win.
Trainer Chad Summers also claimed his first win in the Preakness, which has a $2 million purse. Iron Honor had been the morning line favorite at 9-2, but he was an 8-1 shot by the time the horses entered the starting gate. Taj Mahal broke to the lead early and covered the first quarter-mile in 22.
66 seconds, but trainer Brittany Russell 's unbeaten horse couldn't hold on and was passed by Napoleon Solo, 7-1 by race time, near the top of the stretch. Iron Honor was a threat late but came up 1 1/4 lengths short. Chip Honcho (1-1) was third.
Napoleon Solo won his first two starts last year by impressive margins, prevailing in the Champagne Stakes by 6 1/2 lengths in October. He couldn't maintain that form, however, finishing fifth in both the Fountain of Youth and Wood Memorial this year. Also in the Wood Memorial, two spots farther back, was Iron Honor.
Their rematch was for much higher stakes, and Napoleon Solo again finished ahead. "All year long, fifth place, fifth place. Everyone said he wasn't as good as he was in the Champagne," Summers said.