Napoleon Solo wins the 151st Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park in Maryland, finishing ahead of 13 other horses in the middle jewel of the Triple Crown. Multiple outlets report that Golden Tempo, the Kentucky Derby winner, does not compete, leaving a wide-open field of 14 horses. The race is held at Laurel Park for the first time in 151 runnings because Pimlico Race Course is undergoing renovation.
After starting the year with two fifth-place finishes, Napoleon Solo rebounds to take the lead and ultimately holds off Iron Honor in the stretch to secure his first victory of the year. Coverage also notes that Napoleon Solo is the only Grade I winner in the field, though he had not recently been finishing near the front. Forbes characterizes the win as establishing him among the top three-year-old Thoroughbreds, while other reports focus on the late surge and the final hold-off against Iron Honor.
The win is presented as Napoleon Solo’s breakthrough performance of the season, coming in a Triple Crown race staged away from Pimlico.
