May 18 (UPI) — First, the Kentucky Derby winner didn’t go to the Preakness. Next, the Preakness winner apparently isn’t going to the Belmont, setting up a potential repeat of last year’s Triple Crown results.
With Derby winner Golden Tempo skipping Saturday’s Preakness at Laurel Park, Napoleon Solo stole the show, returning to last year’s Grade I-winning form to score a decisive 1 1/4-length victory. Finishing second and third were Iron Honor and Chip Honcho, respectively. None of them started in the Derby.
Golden Tempo took a pass on the Preakness to get five weeks rest before the June 6 Belmont at Saratoga, but he won’t find Napoleon Solo there, according to that colt’s owner, Al Gold, and trainer, Chad Summers.
“Yeah, our plan is the Haskell. No bones about it,” Summers said, referring to the $1 million Grade I centerpiece of the Monmouth Park meeting on the Jersey Shore on July 18.
“Mr. Gold being a New Jersey native, it’s a race that he cherishes. … How we get there, we’ll talk about. We’ll see how he comes out of the race. But our first immediate goal is the Haskell.”
What does that do the battle for the 3-year-old championship?
“I’m excited to see how the rest of the year plays out,” Summers said. “I think it’s a wide-open race.”
In 2025, it was Derby winner Sovereignty skipping the middle jewel of the Triple Crown to take the five-week rest before winning the Belmont. Derby runner-up Journalism won the Preakness, and Sovereignty was named not only the champion 3-year-old, but also Horse of the Year. Journalism finished second in the Belmont, then won the Haskell.
Here’s how the rest of the weekend played:
Classic
Navajo Warrior, stepping into the stakes ranks for the first time, scored a gate-to-wire victory in Friday’s $250,000 Grade III Pimlico Special at Laurel Park. The 5-year-old Candy Ride gelding, with Flavien Prat up, extended his advantage through the stretch to win by 2 3/4 lengths over Maclean’s Rock.
Three-year-olds not up to the Preakness got their run in Saturday’s $100,000 Sir Barton Stakes at 1 1/16 miles. The favorite, Final Story, stumbled at the start and was rushed up to the lead, but couldn’t hold it in the stretch, yielding to Big Cuddle, who won by 1/2 length.
Distaff
My Miss Mo bobbled at the start of Friday’s $300,000 Grade II George E. Mitchell Black-
Eyed Susan at Laurel Park, dueled with long shot Savor It for the lead down the backstretch and then engaged in another duel with Jumping the Gun in the lane.
Nonetheless, the Uncle Mo filly drew off to score by 1 3/4 lengths. Tyler Gaffalione rode for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. The filly had only one previous win but came north after finishing second in the Grade II Davona Dale and the Grade II Gulfstream Park Oaks.
Margie’s Intention, winless in four starts since last year’s Black-Eyed Susan, found a cozy spot in Friday’s $125,000 Allaire DuPont Distaff at Laurel Park and took full advantage. After starting last of five, the 4-year-old daughter of Honor A.P. closed to win by 2 3/4 lengths over Low Country Magic.
Lost Horizon tracked the pacesetting favorite, Domino Vitale, into the stretch turn in Saturday’s $100,000 Serena’s Song at Monmouth Park, slipped by that one along the rail and took off like a thunder ball to win by 8 1/2 lengths. Domino Vitale held second by a neck over Ourdaydreaminggirl.
Sprint
Obliteration, making his first start since finishing second in the Group 3 Saudi Derby in February, had no trouble handling six rivals in Saturday’s $150,000 Chick Lang Stakes for 3-year-olds at Pimlico.
After relaxing through the first half of the 6-furlong tilt, jockey Jose Ortiz revved up the Violence colt, roared by the leaders and won by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:09.77.
Also: Bring the Smoke won Saturday’s $150,000 Grade III Maryland Sprint at Laurel Park and Casson took Sunday’s $120 (Canadian) King Corrie Stakes for 3-year-olds at Woodbine.
Filly & mare sprint
Peach Tie rallied from well off the pace to take Friday’s $150,000 Grade III Miss Preakness Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by 1 1/2 lengths over Tessellate.
Dixie Law poked her nose in front of pacesetting Meilani at the final stride of Saturday’s $120,000 (Canadian) Ruling Angel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Woodbine.
Turf
Burnham Square, the heavy favorite, kicked away from a quintet of rivals in the stretch run of Saturday’s $250,000 Grade III Louisville Stakes at Churchill Downs and won by 4 3/4 lengths. Dancin in Da’nile was best of the rest.
Burnham Square, a 4-year-old Whitham Thoroughbreds homebred gelding by Liam’s Map, ran 1 1/2 miles on firm turf in 2:29.43. Brian Hernandez Jr. had the mount for trainer Ian Wilkes.
Fort Washington launched a bid turning for home in Saturday’s $250,000 Grade III Dinner Party Stakes at Laurel Park, got a head in front with a bit more than a furlong to run and held off A Bourbon for Toby to win by 1/2 length.
The 7-year-old son of War Front ran 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:47.15. Junior Alvarado rode for trainer Shug McGaughey. He also won last year’s Dinner Party and Grade I Arlington Million.
Gran Oriente won Saturday’s $100,000 Mr. Steele Stakes at Gulfstream Park 2 3/4 lengths over Missed the Cut.
Filly & mare turf
Warming won Saturday’s $150,000 Grade III Gallorette at Laurel Park and Turino took Saturday’s $100,000 Monroe Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Turf mile
Coach Mazzula won Friday’s $125,000 Hilltop Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Laurel Park and
Turf Star came from next-last of seven to win Saturday’s $100,000 James W. Murphy Stakes for 3-year-olds at Laurel. Bust out took Sunday’s $100,000 Cinema Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita.
Turf sprint
In another busy weekend in this division: Chasing Liberty won Saturday’s $125,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint and Sunna won Friday’s $100,000 The Very One Stakes for fillies and mares, both at Laurel Park.
Queen Maxima won Saturday’s Saturday’s $100,000 Mizdirection Stakes for fillies and mares down the Santa Anita hillside course.
And Unwritten Rule won Saturday’s $100,000 Roar Stakes for 3-year-olds at Gulfstream Park.
Around the world, around the clock
England
William Buick had to do some zigging and zagging to find running room for Notable Speech nearing the furlong marker in Sunday’s Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.
Once he found daylight, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile winner did the rest with gusto, breaking free to win by 2 lengths over More Thunder with Zeus Olympios, Dancing Gemini and The Lion In Winter following directly.
It was a bounce-back effort for the Charlie Appleby-trained 5-year-old, who started the year by finishing fourth as the favorite in the Grade I Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland and the trainer said the Group 1 Queen Anne at Royal Ascot is the next target.
Japan
Embroidery scored her third Grade 1 victory and earned a “Win and You’re In” spot in October’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf with a “perfect race” in Sunday’s Victoria Mile at Tokyo Racecourse.
With Christophe Lemaire in the irons, the 4-year-old Admire Mars filly relaxed behind the leaders, came wide to lead with some 200 meters left and drew off easily to win by 1 3/4 lengths as the solid favorite.
“It was a perfect race,” Lemaire said. “We were able to break smoothly, which allowed us to race in a good position. She responded really well on the uphill stretch and I was confident we would win again.”