Preakness 2026: Napoleon Solo wins unprecedented race at Laurel Park

Sam Cohn, The Baltimore Sun on May 16, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

LAUREL, Md. — Napoleon Solo, a long shot on the morning betting line, emerged victorious from the throes of the largest Preakness Stakes field in 15 years at Laurel Park on Saturday.

The 3-year-old colt — trained by Chad Summers, owned by Gold Square LLC and jockeyed by Paco Lopez — was patient. It was a fast-paced race. He settled into second place behind the favorite, Taj Mahal. In the final stretch, Napoleon Solo made his move, crossing the line first by multiple lengths in 1 minute, 58.69 seconds.

Iron Honor came in second and Chip Honcho finished third.

Summers, who won his first Preakness in his first start, bear-hugged family and friends beside him.

Napoleon Solo was named for a fictional character in the 1960s spy television series, “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” He was a leading contender in the Kentucky Derby this time last year, having won a Grade 1 in October 2025. He fell flat in a pair of starts since, finishing fifth in both.

This Preakness felt different. Laurel Park looked vanilla. Because of massive ongoing renovations at Pimlico, the grandstand hushed, bereft of all its most classic features.

Attendance was limited to about 4,800 patrons, a much smaller crowd than the 60,000-plus of recent years in Baltimore. There were no infield festivities. No headlining concert. No running of the urinals. No Kentucky Derby winner vying to stay in Triple Crown contention. A traditional Preakness viewing experience, when the track hosting 14 races bisects brightly dressed spectators, feels that much closer to the action, which makes the sport unique. This was a more traditional, disjointed sports spectacle: everyone over here, the races over there.

“No infield, no crazy shenanigans,” said Dan Atkins, a 51-year-old patron wearing a suit adorned in $100 bills. “Just normal people.”

A stroll through the grandstand revealed what was to be expected with the lighter version of Preakness. Patrons filled the suites against the front-row glass, and crowds gathered outside along the white fence, but a race nicknamed “the people’s party” featured plenty of empty seats, too.

Racing officials are confident this is a one-off and next year, at a mostly renovated Pimlico (the grandstand won’t be completed), will signify not just a return to normalcy but a decisive stride into the future of horse racing in Maryland.