The 2026 Preakness run at Laurel Park is now in the books and Winner Napoleon Solo has placed himself in the conversation as one of the top three-year-old colts in the country. A pace stalking trip that saw him take control of the 151st running of this second leg of the Triple Crown at the top of the stretch etched his name in history. Booted home a length and a quarter to the good by jockey Paco Lopez, this Chad Summers trained gray colt was no doubt the best on Maryland’s biggest day of racing.
Why Napoleon Solo Was A Logical Choice Especially At Odds Of 7 to 1
Napoleon Solo came into the 2026 Preakness slightly overlooked. An outstanding two- year-old campaign that saw this son of Liam’s Map win both starts by a combined 12 lengths had him at the top of the list for Triple Crown contenders entering 2026. Included in those starts was a 6 ½ length score in the grade 1 Champagne Stakes, which by the way made him the only starter in Preakness 151 with a grade 1 win. After the turn of the new year, however, the growing pains of becoming a three-year-old set in and two starts in graded stakes action resulted in two fifth place finishes. The Fountain of Youth Stakes on February 28 at Gulfstream Park saw him stalking the early pace but empty at the top of the stretch. The Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 4 was more Napoleon-like in the beginning as he assumed the lead early, but retreated as the runners rolled toward the finish.
Despite the two off the board finishes, this striking colt out of the mare Atomic Blonde was still very equipped to win a race like the Preakness. Three starts in graded stakes company and a grade 1 win speaks to his quality. As is the question with all younger horses with speed, can they carry it to the finish line in classic distance races. On May 16, 2026, a settled and slightly more seasoned Napoleon Solo marched into the history books with a resounding score at a nice price. Breaking alertly, this Gold Square LLC. owned runner settled in second and allowed Maryland sensation Taj Mahal to do the heavy lifting early. When the real running started at the quarter pole, there was Napoleon leading the charge. As one of only three graded Stakes winners in the field and the only grade 1 winner, 7 to 1 was a very enticing. Returning $17.80 on a $2 win wager, Napoleon also triggered a 50-cent pick 4 payout of $1,489.75 and a 50-cent pick 5 dividend of $7,080.60.
Napoleon Solo Not A Belmont Stakes Candidate At This Time
Napoleon Solo will not attempt to conquer the third and final leg of the Triple Crown on June 6 is the word from his camp. He came out of the Preakness in good order, but his connections feel as though his best races will likely be at distances shorter than the already shortened mile and a quarter of this year’s Belmont Stakes. His running style and early speed have been key indicators to these thoughts. Shorter races for three-year-olds later in the summer like the grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth Park in New Jersey will be likely targets for the Preakness champ.
For those fans hoping to see the Kentucky Derby winner (Golden Tempo) and Preakness champion square off in the Belmont as they did last year (Sovereignty and Journalism), they likely will have to wait. Napoleon Solo was a $40,000 purchase at the Keeneland yearling sale in and has now earned just over $1.5 million on the track.
