Napoleon Solo stunned the field at Laurel Park on Saturday by capturing the 151st edition of the Preakness Stakes, giving trainer Chad Summers and jockey Paco Lopez the biggest victory of their careers. The 7-1 shot held off Iron Honor down the stretch after taking command midway through the race, while Chip Honcho finished third in the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown.
10 interesting facts about the surprise Preakness champion
1. Napoleon Solo bounced back after two disappointing runs
Before Saturday’s victory, Napoleon Solo had finished fifth in both the Fountain of Youth Stakes and the Wood Memorial during his three-year-old season.
The colt entered the Preakness surrounded by doubts after fading late in both races.
2. He was once considered an elite Kentucky Derby prospect
Napoleon Solo emerged as one of the top two-year-olds in the country after winning the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes in dominant fashion last year.
That performance briefly placed him among the early favorites for the Kentucky Derby before injuries and setbacks interrupted his momentum.
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3. The horse is named after a fictional TV spy
The colt takes his name from Napoleon Solo, the fictional secret agent from the 1960s television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
His dramatic career swings have mirrored the twists and turns of a Hollywood storyline.
4. Paco Lopez earned the biggest Triple Crown win of his career
Saturday marked only the second Preakness mount for Paco Lopez.
The veteran jockey, who has dominated the Mid-Atlantic racing scene for years, previously finished fifth in the race aboard Max Player in 2020.
Lopez skipped his regular Monmouth Park schedule this weekend specifically to ride Napoleon Solo in Maryland.
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5. Chad Summers believed the horse deserved another chance
Despite Napoleon Solo’s poor recent finishes, trainer Chad Summers remained convinced there were underlying reasons behind the colt’s struggles.
“We felt there might be other factors behind where he finished in his last two starts,” Summers told BloodHorse.
“He only has this one opportunity to run in the Preakness. If he turns out to be a one-turn horse, there’s plenty of opportunities, and we can get back to that later in the year. We felt he deserved this opportunity.”
6. A shoe adjustment helped revive his form
Summers revealed before the race that Napoleon Solo had been dealing with physical discomfort and shoeing issues earlier this season.
“We were training with an egg shoe before the Wood and were training just to make the race rather than win it,” Summers said.
“That’s difficult to do. Now that he can train like he wants to, it goes a long way. He’s a handful. After the Wood, we pulled the shoes off for a week. Since he’s back in his old shoes, he’s back to his old self.”
7. The winning connections have deep New Jersey ties
Owner Al Gold, trainer Chad Summers and jockey Paco Lopez all share strong ties to New Jersey racing.
Gold, whose Gold Square stable also campaigned 2022 Haskell Stakes winner Cyberknife, has long been associated with Monmouth Park.
Lopez, meanwhile, won his 12th riding title at Monmouth last year.
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8. Napoleon Solo earned a massive payday
The Preakness carried a $2 million purse, with Napoleon Solo taking home the winner’s share of $1.2 million.
Under the traditional payout split, the ownership group receives 80 percent, while the trainer and jockey each collect 10 percent.
That means Paco Lopez and Chad Summers each earned $120,000 from the victory.
9. Laurel Park hosted a rare edition of the Preakness
This year’s race was held at Laurel Park instead of Pimlico Race Course because of ongoing redevelopment work in Baltimore.
The unusual venue change created a very different atmosphere, with attendance capped at just 4,800 spectators.
10. The race had no Triple Crown implications
Golden Tempo skipped the Preakness to focus on the Belmont Stakes, meaning there was no chance of a Triple Crown winner this year.
That left the race wide open, with Taj Mahal entering as the betting favorite at 9-2 before fading after setting the early pace.
Napoleon Solo eventually surged past Taj Mahal near the top of the stretch before holding off Iron Honor late to secure the biggest win of his career.
