Napoleon Solo wins Preakness Stakes
· Yahoo Sports
May 16 (UPI) -- Napoleon Solo led home a trio of so-called "new shooters" in Saturday's Grade I Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park -- horses who did not contest the Kentucky Derby, the first leg of the Triple Crown, but joined the series for the second leg in Maryland.
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Only three Derby starters lined up for the Preakness. None was prominent in the running, although Ocelli and Incredibolt, third and sixth in the Run for the Roses, came from behind a quick pace to finish fourth and fifth, respectively.
It really was Napoleon Solo's race.
The Liam's Map colt got a clean start, and jockey Paco Lopez quickly moved him in from his No. 10 gate to chase right behind pacesetter and local favorite Taj Mahal. They raced that way at a good clip down the backstretch and through the stretch turn.
When Taj Mahal threw in the towel, Napoleon Solo kept right on going and was never threatened.
Iron Honor, last seen finishing seventh in the Grade II Wood Memorial, and Chip Honcho, a distant fifth in the Grade II Louisiana Derby in his last outing, finished second and third, respectively. Napoleon Solo ran 1 3/16 miles on a fast track in 1:58.69.
Napoleon Solo started his career with an easy victory in a restricted maiden race last summer at Saratoga and jumped right up from that to win the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Aqueduct in October.
Trainer Chad Summers brought him back to start his 3-year-old season in the Grade II Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park, where he finished fifth, beaten by 11 3/4 lengths.
Looking for enough qualifying points to get the colt into the Kentucky Derby while he reportedly was battling a foot bruise, Summers next tried the Grade II Wood Memorial at Aqueduct only to again finish fifth, although only 2 3/4 lengths back of the winner.
That dashed Derby hopes, but the reward came after the break between the Wood and the Preakness.
Owner Al Gold of Gold Square Racing had to edit his reaction to the stretch run for the national television audience.
"Paco, [expletive)][Paco, (expletive]!" Gold censored himself as urging on horse and rider. Get that [expletive] up. Just hang on. And Paco did. He rode an absolutely perfect race."
He added; "I've got to say this first. Paco told Chad after the Wood to not go to this race. I didn't want to come. I didn't think this horse could go this far. Paco, it's you baby. You did this. It was a perfect scenario. Just awesome."
Lopez, who has ridden in more than 4,000 races, got his first win in a Triple Crown event.
Summers emotionally thanked his staff in Florida and New York for keeping Napoleon Solo going through the winter and spring.
He just kept getting better every day. The team in Florida and the team in New York ... We're so proud and we're going to celebrate this for a long time."
With the Derby winner, Golden Tempo, skipping the Preakness, there are renewed calls within the industry to revisit the compact schedule of the Triple Crown -- two weeks between the Derby and Preakness and three weeks on to the Belmont Stakes.
The outcome of Saturday's race likely will add fuel to that fire.