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Belmont Stakes Day Belmont Festival Friday Eclipse Stakes Day Hollywood Gold Cup Preakness Stakes results |
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 Paco Lopez and Napoleon Solo return after winning the 2026 Preakness | |
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The $2 million Preakness Stakes (G1) is the second jewel in the Triple Crown. After the connections of Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo opted to rest him until the Belmont (to be run at Saratoga again), a full field of 14 three-year-olds contested the 151st renewal of this 1 3/16 mile classic around two turns, run at Laurel Park this year as traditional host track Pimlico Race Course is being rebuilt. Pimlico expected to be complete in time for the 152nd Preakness next year. Conditions were typical for mid May, with overcast skies, a fast main track, and a post time temperature of 75.
Locally based Taj Mahal was sent off as the lukewarm 9-2 favorite, undefeated in 3 starts including the Miracle Wood and Federico Tesio Stakes, the local prep series for the Preakness. In to challenge him included 11-2 second choice Incredibolt, sixth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) after winning the Virginia Derby, and 7-1 third choice Ocelli, third in both the Wood Memorial (G2) and Kentucky Derby.
 Shortly after the start by with Taj Mahal leading and Napoleon Solo on the outside in fourth. |
Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 10 Napoleon Solo Lopez 17.80 9.80 7.40 9 Iron Honor Prat 9.20 6.60 6 Chip Honcho Ortiz 8.20 Winning Time: 1:58.69 $1 Exacta 10-9 53.60 $1 Trifecta 10-9-6 597.10 $1 Superfecta 10-9-6-2 2,377.80 $1 Super High Five 10-9-6-2-12 12,015.70 $2 BES-Preakness Double 10-10 52.80 |
Left: Napoleon Solo in the winner's circle with his flower blanket. Winning trainer Chad Summers, celebrating his first Triple Crown win with his first Triple Crown starter said, "We've had everything go wrong his 3-year-old year, and we just kind of stayed the course and stayed the course. We had a lot of critics out there that told us to just 'Shut up,' and we just kept with it. It worked out today. To come here with a horse that Mr. (owner Al) Gold allowed me to pick out for $40,000, and to get the job done on a stage like this, it's just unbelievable"
Right: The trophy presentation. Winning jockey Paco Lopez, celebrating his first Triple Crown win, said, "We had a perfect run. I was able to keep the horse in the right position and got away from the gate well, which helped. Chad [Summers] had him ready. In the post parade, he started playing with the pony, so we broke away but came back and he was then very comfortable."
Paco Lopez and Napoleon Solo head to the winner's circle. Summers added, "We're going to point to the Haskell; how we get to the Haskell, we'll find out. There's been a lot of trials and tribulations along the way. I've almost quit about three or four times. Been forced into retirement a few times. But we're still here, we're battling and we got the victory done on a horse we bought for $40,000, which I love the most."
Right: Napoleon Solo gets hosed off on the way back to the barn. Lopez added, "He broke perfect and followed them around, there was a lot of speed in the race, and he was patient until it was time to move. The distance and everything was right for my horse today. In the Wood, he was in the one hole and I rushed him a little bit and he was running off a layoff. My first [Triple Crown] win. It's so exciting. I'm going to celebrate tonight."
Napoleon Solo exits the winner's circle. Trainer Chad Summers added, "I felt like I maybe did a disservice to him all year long. You know, fifth place, fifth place. Everyone said he wasn't as good as he was in the Champagne. This was a win here. People will say it wasn't against the best of the best. We'll find out the rest of the year.
Right: Napoleon Solo heads out to the track before the race. Winning owner Al Gold said, "I talk to (Summers) six, seven times a day. We've got a lot of horses together, I'm more than grateful for the job he did getting these horses ready - especially this one."
Left: Napoleon Solo in the post parade. Jockey Paco Lopez added, "Any big horse race, everybody's coming. I had to wait, wait, wait and when I asked the horse he gave me a big run."
Right: First time by with Taj Mahal on the lead and Napoleon Solo right at his flank in second. Summers added, "(Winning the only Preakness at Laurel) is great, and we're going to love this and remember this for the rest of our lives," Summers said. "But the fact that Aqueduct and Laurel is going to shut down and only be a training center is a travesty. I would just hope that we get the opportunity as an industry to rally and save some of these tracks. We can't allow this to keep happening.
Left: Napoleon Solo returns after winning the race.
Right: Paco Lopez and Chad Summers with their trophies. Summers Said, "I'm still in a little bit of disbelief. It's just a credit to the staff, to the whole team that we have to get here in a place where a lot of people doubted us and probably will still continue to doubt us. I just feel like I'm proud of the horse. I felt like the horse deserved it. I feel like I let the horse down with his two fifth-place finishes in his first two starts (this year). I felt like I let Gold Square down trying to get to the Derby. So it's just an omen to get back here, and this is the icing on the cake to get the victory."
Left: Second place finisher Iron Honor crosses the finish line. Jockey Flavien Prat said, "I had a good trip. I thought he had a good chance. He was traveling well, and turning for home, I thought I was going be able to make a move on the winner. I just couldn't go by him." Trainer Chad Brown added, "He wasn't overly aggressive at all. I thought, from that standpoint, the horse was always traveling well. I would have preferred to have drawn further inside and saved some more ground. It looked like he was four deep into the first turn and four or five wide into the last turn, it made for a very, very long trip for a horse that has never been that far. That said, he ranged up, tired and all, he almost got on even terms with the winner, but the winner found more."
Right: Third place finisher Chip Honcho heads out to the track before the race. Jockey Jose Ortiz said, "We had a great trip. I'm very proud of him. No excuses. He gave it all he's got." Trainer Steve Asmussen added, "Jose gave him a really good trip. He 'handled' really nicely. He gave a lot of effort. There was a lot of pace in there, but he ran a great race."
Tenth place finisher and beaten favorite Taj Mahal heads out to the track before the race. Jockey Sheldon Russell said, "He's that type where I knew he would bounce out of there no matter what the post, just because of the way he broke last time. For him to have crossed over from the 14 path [in the Federico Tesio] and now we're going to be on the rail, he probably went a little fast the first quarter. I was trying to sort of slow him down but he gets a little racy." Trainer Brittany Russell added, "He got away good, and they were moving along fine, but the winner also sat right on his flank. He did what we thought he would do; he just didn't kick on. You knew he was going to have to run a little faster than he has been, right?"
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