Napoleon Solo almost didn’t race in the Preakness. Thanks to a jockey’s suggestion, it won

Before winning the 151st Preakness Stakes, Napoleon Solo almost wasn’t entered in the race known as the middle jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown

Before winning the 151st Preakness Stakes, Napoleon Solo almost wasn’t entered in the race known as the middle jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown.

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Napoleon Solo had won the first two races of its career in 2025, but this year had competed twice and finished fifth place both times.

It was after the second race, April’s Wood Memorial, that jockey Paco Lopez told the decision-makers behind the horse, owner Al Gold and trainer Chad Summers, that there was more to its potential than its most recent finishes indicated.