2 weeks ago
Napoleon Solo held disconnected Iron Honor down nan agelong to triumph nan 151st Preakness Stakes connected Saturday, rebounding from a brace of fifth-place showings for his first triumph of nan year.
Kentucky Derby victor Golden Tempo was held retired of nan race, leaving a wide-open section of 14 horses to title nan mediate jewel of nan Triple Crown, which was held astatine Laurel Park successful Maryland this twelvemonth because Pimlico successful Baltimore is being rebuilt.
Taj Mahal was nan apical prime astatine 9-2 – nan longest likelihood for a Preakness favourite since nan title moved to its existent one-and-three-sixteenth-mile region successful 1925. Iron Honor had been nan greeting statement favourite astatine 9-2, but he was an 8-1 changeable by nan clip nan horses entered nan starting gate.
Taj Mahal collapsed to nan lead early and covered nan first quarter-mile successful 22.66 seconds, but trainer Brittany Russell’s unbeaten colt couldn’t clasp connected and was passed by Napoleon Solo (7-1) adjacent nan apical of nan stretch. Iron Honor was a threat precocious but came up 1 1/4 lengths short.
Chip Honcho (11-1) was third.
It was nan first triumph successful a Triple Crown title for trainer Chad Summers and jockey Paco Lopez. Napoleon Solo paid $17.80 connected a $2 bet.
The colt won his first 2 starts past twelvemonth by awesome margins, prevailing successful nan Champagne Stakes by 6 1/2 lengths successful October. He couldn’t support that form, however, finishing 5th successful some nan Fountain of Youth and Wood Memorial this year.
Also successful nan Wood Memorial was Iron Honor. Their rematch was for overmuch higher stakes, and Napoleon Solo again vanished ahead.
“All twelvemonth long, 5th place, 5th place. Everyone said he wasn’t arsenic bully arsenic he was successful nan Champagne,” Summers said. “This was a triumph here. People will opportunity it wasn’t against nan champion of nan best. We’ll find retired nan remainder of nan year.”
The 3 horses who did title successful some nan Derby and Preakness this twelvemonth – Ocelli (7-1), Incredibolt (5-1) and Robusta (25-1) – vanished fourth, 5th and ninth Saturday.
The Belmont Stakes, nan last limb of equine racing’s Triple Crown, is 6 June successful Saratoga, New York.
