Napoleon Solo, ridden by Paco Lopez and owned by Al Gold with Chad Summers training, pulled off a surprise win at Laurel Park in Maryland, the temporary home of the Preakness while Pimlico undergoes renovations. The 3-year-old had middling spring results but turned in a powerful run in the 151st Preakness Stakes, claiming the Woodlawn Vase and a $1.2 million top share of the $2 million purse.
Napoleon Solo nearly missed the race entirely after two unremarkable outings this spring left owner Al Gold unconvinced. The horse had won his first two career starts in 2025, then finished fifth in February and again in April, which made the decision to enter the Preakness a tough sell for connections.
Paco Lopez, though, urged action after the Wood Memorial, and his recommendation carried weight despite initial resistance. “Paco told Chad after the Wood to go to this race,” Gold said on the NBC Sports broadcast. Al Gold also admitted earlier doubts: “I didn’t want to come here, I didn’t think this horse could go this far.”
Distance and track surface were nagging worries for Gold and Summers in the lead-up to the race, especially with the Preakness staged at Laurel Park instead of Pimlico. “The last few days we were worried about, can he go the distance? Are we gonna get loose?” Gold said, reflecting the uncertainty that clung to the barn before post time.
When the gates flew, a 14-horse field felt open after Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo and runner-up Renegade opted out. Taj Mahal set the pace entering the final straight, but Napoleon Solo, tracked closely by Lopez, surged past in the homestretch as Laurel’s main grandstand loomed into view.
Iron Honor launched a late bid but never closed the gap to within a length of the winner, leaving Napoleon Solo clear at the line. The colt entered the race at 7-to-1 and emerged with the Preakness trophy and the richest share of the purse, adding the middle jewel to his résumé.
Summers was blunt about the roller-coaster path that led to the victory: “We’ve had everything go wrong this 3-year-old year, and we just kind of stayed the course and stayed the course,” Summers told NBC Sports after the win. His journey in racing reads like a grind — hotwalking horses, writing about the sport, managing, acting as a bloodhorse agent, and paying dues in tack rooms and the occasional car.
He also tried ownership, helping to assemble a group that purchased Mind Your Biscuits in 2014, and reluctantly moved into training. “I didn’t really want to be a trainer, to be honest with you,” Summers said, acknowledging the all-in grind that comes with the job and family sacrifices it demands.
That gamble paid off when Mind Your Biscuits delivered a breakthrough in a major $2 million race in Dubai in 2017, then repeated the feat in 2018, changing Summers’ life and finances. Still, a breakthrough inside a Triple Crown race had eluded him until this weekend, making the Preakness win a personal milestone.
Napoleon Solo has been based primarily in New York, where his first two wins came in 2025, and split his spring training between Florida and Kentucky before arriving in Maryland. “He just kept getting better every day,” Summers said, describing the subtle improvements that nudged the team toward taking the Preakness gamble.
Gold didn’t hide his gratitude for Lopez after the victory: “Paco, it’s you, baby,” Gold said. The day was a busy one for Lopez, who rode five races at the meet and notched his second winner of the day; his career totals now sit at 4,434 wins in more than 21,000 starts, according to Equibase.
Summers had called Napoleon Solo “special” at the start of the week but reminded everyone that the Preakness attracts fast competition and big dreams. “It’s the middle jewel of the Triple Crown, right?” Summers said.
Victory didn’t leave Summers basking for long; the Preakness card continued with other races, and he was soon back in Laurel Park’s paddock preparing another horse for its run. The barn moved on quickly, already focused on the work that follows a big day at the races.
