Napoleon Solo, Espoir USA’s winner of the Grade 1 Preakness, put in an impressive workout at Belmont Park on October 1, covering five-eighths of a mile in a swift :58 flat as he gears up for an October Breeders’ Cup appearance at Keeneland. With jockey John Velazquez aboard, Napoleon Solo worked alongside the top contender Spherical, easily pulling ahead in the final strides.
Trainer Summers explained that the goal was to have Velazquez see how well Napoleon Solo could relax behind another horse, a task he accomplished with ease. Next week, the horse is expected to work solo, with a potential final workout alongside a companion, if one is available. Summers highlighted the quality of the workout, noting Napoleon Solo’s gallops out times of 1:10, 1:22, and 1:—faster than the winning time recorded later that day in the Vosburgh Stakes. Summers remarked that the horse is maturing perfectly and has become a lot more focused.
Napoleon Solo first made a name for himself last year with a dominant 6 1/2-length win in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park, capping off his juvenile season. After a break, he resumed racing with a fifth-place in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth in February at Gulfstream Park and followed that with a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. Summers then targeted the Preakness, where the Liam’s Map offspring pressed the pace and won by 1 1/4 lengths over Iron Honor. In his next two races, he was the main target as the pace-setter, finishing second by a half-length in both the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes to Baby Vino at Monmouth Park, and in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes on August 29 at Saratoga, where Velazquez rode him for the first time.
Summers described Napoleon Solo as an incredibly fast horse who doesn’t need to lead but often finds himself in front because there are few rivals with similar speed. Looking ahead to the Breeders’ Cup, Summers noted that other horses like Magnitude and Knightsbridge also possess exceptional speed. While Napoleon Solo is expected to compete in the Classic rather than the Dirt Mile, lining up Velazquez—famed for guiding Authentic to a Breeders’ Cup Classic victory in 2020 at Keeneland—was a key decision. Summers wanted Velazquez to experience the horse firsthand, and the jockey expressed high praise after the workout, wishing he could train him every week.
The trainer is eager to see Napoleon Solo return to winning form, acknowledging that recent losses by narrow margins still showed the horse’s competitiveness. Summers stressed the significance of the upcoming race, saying it could be the most important one so far, with a potential championship, including Horse of the Year honors, still at stake. A victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, combined with his Preakness win and seconds in the Haskell and Travers, could spark serious conversation about Napoleon Solo as Horse of the Year.
Napoleon Solo is scheduled for another workout at Belmont on Friday, this time six furlongs solo. Summers described this session as more focused on building stamina rather than speed, though the horse is expected to still clock faster times than his peers.
Currently, Napoleon Solo has earned over $2 million from seven starts, holding a record of three wins, two seconds, and no thirds.
This article was originally published by Paulick Report on October 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section.
Fan Take: This update on Napoleon Solo is thrilling for horse racing enthusiasts because it showcases a promising star sharpening for one of the sport’s biggest stages, the Breeders’ Cup Classic. His combination of raw speed, tactical maturity, and top-tier training could signal an exciting championship battle that revitalizes interest and elevates the sport’s competitive drama.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
