Napoleon Solo won the 151st running of the Triple Crown’s middle race, taking over the lead by passing odds- and hometown-favorite Taj Mahal at the top of the stretch and holding off Iron Honor and Chip Honcho for the victory.
Trainer Chad Brown was hoping his horse could hold off the pace-setters and bust out late to win in his Preakness debut.
Mission accomplished.
“We had a lot of critics out there that told us to shut up,” Brown told NBC Sports just moments after the finish. “We just kept with it and kept with it.”
His response to those critics now: “Shut up.”
While there will be no Triple Crown winner this year—Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo was pulled out of the Preakness by trainer Cherie DeVaux because of the short two-week turnaround—Brown said his team will get ready for the Belmont Stakes.
It was the first time the race had a 14-horse field since 2011.
The race was held at Laurel Park while its usual home, Pimlico Race Course, undergoes a $400 million overhaul. The attendance for Saturday’s race was capped at 4,800 with no fans in the infield.
