Napoleon Solo is third Preakness horse at Laurel * The Racing Biz

Napoleon Solo is third Preakness horse at Laurel

Arrived Sunday afternoon

The Biz
May 10, 2026

Champagne (G1) winner Napoleon Solo arrived at Laurel Park from New York Sunday afternoon to prepare for the Preakness (G1).

The son of Liam’s Map, owned by Gold Square LLC and trained by Chad Summers, is due to go to the track Monday morning.

Napoleon Solo is 2-for-4 in his young career, including a devastating 6 ½-length romp in the Grade 1 Champagne last October 4.

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His results have been less promising this year. He has finished fifth in both starts, including the Wood Memorial last out. In that contest he led through six furlongs in 1:12.04 and was still just a half-length behind the leader (and winner) Albus before fading to fifth, beaten less than three lengths.

*Napoleon Solo arrives at Laurel. Photo by Maryland Jockey Club.*

The gray colt has worked four times since the April 4 Wood, including a six-furlong work May 2 in 1:10. He had his final pre-Preakness move May 9, going four furlongs in 48 seconds flat.

Napoleon Solo will be expected to be a forward factor in the Preakness. He has led early in two of his three stakes starts, the lone exception having come in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, which was replete with speed horses.

In the Champagne, contested at a one-turn mile distance, Napoloeon Solo threw down punishing early fractions of 22.53 seconds for the first quarter and 44.24 for the half-mile. His six-furlong split of 1:07.88 was just over three-tenths off of Aqueduct’s longstanding six-furlong track record, set by Kelly Kip in 1999.

Napoloeon Solo’s running time for the Champagne was 1:34.57. The runner-up from that contest, the Danny Gargan-trained Talkin, is also expected to compete in the Preakness.

Three Preakness horses currently are on the grounds at Laurel: local hopeful Taj Mahal, who is based there; Lexington Stakes runner-up The Hell We Did; and Napoleon Solo.