Napoleon Solo wins 2026 Preakness Stakes

Chasing the hometown horse for the lead for much of the race, Napoleon Solo beat out Taj Mahal to win the 151st Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park on Saturday. Taj Mahal held a lead through about the first half of the race with Napoleon Solo following in a close second. Then, Napoleon Solo and jockey Paco Lopez held off the early favorite, Iron Honor, to take the lead into the stretch and get his first victory of the year. Napoleon Solo, which earned a decisive maiden win at Saratoga, is owned by Gold Square LLC and trained by Chad Summers, who earned his first career victory at the 2017 Dubai World Cup, when Mind Your Biscuits won the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen by three lengths.There was a full field of 14 horses for the first time since 2011 for the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown.The weather remained beautiful all day with sunny, blue skies, making for a fast track. The potential for showers threatened at about race time and thereafter.Kentucky Derby-winner Golden Tempo skipped the Preakness and will run in the Belmont.Photo Gallery below: 151st Preakness Stakes horsesThe Preakness: From Pimlico to LaurelSince 1931, the 1 3/16-mile race is typically run on third Saturday in May, two weeks after the Kentucky Derby. The Preakness is the shortest of the Triple Crown races.This year marks the 151st running of the Preakness — and its first time at Laurel Park in Anne Arundel County as the reimagining of Pimlico Race Course continues. Laurel's track oval is 1 1/8 of a mile long.And, Laurel Park has some history: Seabiscuit prepped there for his famous match race with War Admiral. On Oct. 15, 1938, two weeks before the Pimlico Special, Seabiscuit finished second in the Laurel Stakes, a race he had won the previous year.Because of its size, Laurel Park is limited to hosting 4,800 spectators. That's down significantly from last year's Preakness attendance of 52,574 at Pimlico. The largest crowd was more than 140,000 in 2017. "We want this to be just the crown jewel of the Triple Crown. We know that this is the first year that it has not been at Pimlico; it will be the last year because we're going back to Pimlico. It's really important that we know this is going to be the future of Baltimore. This is a chance for not just Baltimore but for the state of Maryland to show off for the entire globe," Maryland Gov. Wes Moore told Hearst sister station WBAL. "So, the investments that we have now made on the track, the investments we have made on the industry, but also, the investments we've made on the neighborhoods and the communities around it, all three of those things are the Triple Crown, and that's how we're going to be able to make sure that the actual Triple Crown continues to grow and be watched and support and Baltimore maintains a crucial role in it."The Belmont Stakes will also not run at its historic home due to renovations. This will be the second straight year the race will run at Saratoga.What do they win? Triple Crown PursesKentucky Derby: $5 million (winner's share: $2.1 million)Preakness Stakes: $2 million (winner's share: $800,000)Belmont Stakes: $2 million (winner's share: $800,000)Triple Crown fun factsThere have been 13 Triple Crown winners, the last of which was Justify in 2018.In 2015, American Pharaoh ended a 37-year run between Triple Crown winners.Bob Baffert trained both of the last two Triple Crown winners.There have been 36 horses to have won both the Derby and the Preakness, and the Derby winner has skipped the Preakness five of the past eight years, including this year, with Sovereignty skipping Baltimore for the Belmont.🥇 Past Preakness winnersThe fastest Preakness time was 1 minute and 53 seconds in 1973, when the winner was Secretariat.2025 - Journalism2024 - Seize the Grey2023 - National Treasure2022 - Early Voting2021 - Rombauer2020 - Swiss Skydiver2019 - War of Will2018 - Justify2017 - Cloud Computing2016 - Exaggerator2015 - American Pharoah2014 - California Chrome2013 - Oxbow2012 - I'll Have Another2011 - Shackleford2010 - Lookin at Lucky2009 - Rachel Alexandra2008 - Big Brown2007 - Curlin2006 - Bernardini2005 - Afleet Alex2004 - Smarty Jones2003 - Funny Cide2002 - War Emblem2001 - Point Given2000 - Red Bullet1999 - Charismatic1998 - Real Quiet1997 - Silver Charm1996 - Louis Quatorze1995 - Timber Country1994 - Tabasco Cat1993 - Prairie Bayou1992 - Pine Bluff1991 - Hansel1990 - Summer Squall1989 - Sunday Silence1988 - Risen Star1987 - Alysheba1986 - Snow Chief1985 - Tank's Prospect1984 - Gate Dancer1983 - Deputed Testamony1982 - Aloma's Ruler1981 - Pleasant Colony1980 - Codex1979 - Spectacular Bid1978 - Affirmed1977 - Seattle Slew1976 - Elocutionist1975 - Master Derby1974 - Little Current1973 - Secretariat1972 - Bee Bee Bee1971 - Canonero II1970 - Personality1969 - Majestic Prince1968 - Forward Pass1967 - Damascus1966 - Kauai King1965 - Tom Rolfe1964 - Northern Dancer1963 - Candy Spots1962 - Greek Money1961 - Carry Back1960 - Bally Ache1959 - Royal Orbit1958 - Tim Tam1957 - Bold Ruler1956 - Fabius1955 - Nashua1954 - Hasty Road1953 - Native Dancer1952 - Blue Man1951 - Bold1950 - Hill Prince1949 - Capot1948 - Citation1947 - Faultless1946 - Assault1945 - Polynesian1944 - Pensive1943 - Count Fleet1942 - Alsab1941 - Whirlaway1940 - Bimelech1939 - Challedon1938 - Dauber1937 - War Admiral1936 - Bold Venture1935 - Omaha1934 - High Quest1933 - Head Play1932 - Burgoo King1931 - Mate1930 - Gallant Fox1929 - Dr. Freeland1928 - Victorian1927 - Bostonian1926 - Display1925 - Coventry1924 - Nellie Morse1923 - Vigil1922 - Pillory1921 - Broomspun1920 - Man o' War1919 - Sir Barton1918 - War Cloud and Jack Hare, Jr.1917 - Kalitan1916 - Damrosch1915 - Rhine Maiden1914 - Holiday1913 - Buskin1912 - Colonel Holloway1911 - Watervale1910 - Lay Master1909 - Effendi1908 - Royal Tourist1907 - Don Enrique1906 - Whimsical1905 - Cairngorm1904 - Bryn Mawr1903 - Flocarline1902 - Old England1901 - The Parader1900 - Hindus1899 - Half Time1898 - Sly Fox1897 - Paul Kauver1896 - Margrave1895 - Belmar1894 - Assignee1893-91 - No Races Held1890 - Montague1889 - Buddhist1888 - Refund1887 - Dubine1886 - The Bard1885 - Tecumseh1884 - Knight of Ellerslie1883 - Jacobus1882 - Vanguard1881 - Saunterer1880 - Grenada1879 - Harold1878 - Duke of Magenta1877 - Cloverbrook1876 - Shirley1875 - Tom Ochiltree1874 - Culpepper1873 - Survivor